Where does the word "Tote" come from?
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Tote bags are becoming popular. But where does the word "tote" come from? Being a polyglot and a linguist of course I always like to dig into etymology. A quick search on Google gave me this explanation.
The word tote is a colloquial term of North American English origin meaning "to carry" or "to transport", generally in relation to a heavy load or burden. It was first recorded in Virginia in 1677, but its etymology is uncertain.
But, if you start digging more, you come across the following explanation and more interesting origin. Looks like using tote as a synonym for carry appeared in English around the late 1600's (which is the same as what it says above, but the interesting part is ) that it came from a West African language. Similar words include tota meaning 'pick up' in Kongo and tuta, which means “carry” in both Kimbundu and Swahili.
Have you seen my range of tote bags?