Hanapers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Containers or cases, traditionally made of metal or sturdy material, used for holding documents, letters, or small items ; receptacles designed specifically for safeguarding papers or correspondence; decorative or functional vessels meant to store written materials
2. Small boxes or baskets historically employed to carry or protect official papers or letters ; vessels or holders crafted to contain documents or personal correspondence; ornamental or practical containers used for storage of written items
3. Cases or compartments, often made from metal or woven materials, used for enclosing and transporting letters, papers, or small valuables ; protective holders for documents or messages ; traditional receptacles designed to keep correspondence secure and organized

Etymology: "Hanapers" is the plural of "hanaper", a word for a large storage case or basket, and the singular is the one with the real history. It comes from Medieval Latin "hanaperium", meaning a large vase or vessel, which was formed from "hanapus", a bowl or cup. The same root gave English the word "hamper", making the two a doublet: two forms of one word that arrived by different routes and took on different senses. The surprise is how the meaning drifted from drinking vessel to container of papers. In medieval England the Hanaper was a department of the royal Chancery, where fees and documents were kept in such cases, and the office took its name from the containers it used. The word therefore moved from a cup, to a large vessel, to an office and its storage case, while "hamper" kept the general sense of a basket.

Synonyms: baskets, containers, carriers, cases, receptacles