[palani]

Not the contents but the box. In the modern sense a promissory note does not refer to the box.

cash 1593, from M.Fr. caisse "money box," from Prov. caissa, It. cassa, from L. capsa "box" (see case), originally the money box, but the secondary sense of the money in it became sole meaning 18c. Verb meaning "to convert to cash" (as a check, etc.) is first attested 1811. Like most financial terms in Eng., ultimately from It. (cf. bankrupt, etc.). Not related to (but influencing the form of) the colonial British cash "Indian monetary system, Chinese coin, etc.," which is from Tamil kasu, Skt. karsha, Sinhalese kasi.

1649, from M.L. promissorius (1274), from L. promissor "a promiser," from promissus, pp. of promittere (see promise). Promissory note first recorded 1710.

note (v.) c.1225, "observe, mark carefully," from O.Fr. noter, from L. notare, from nota "letter, note," originally "a mark, sign," possibly an alteration of Old L. *gnata, infl. by gnoscere "to recognize." Meaning "to set in writing" is from c.1400.

notary 1303, "clerk, secretary," from O.Fr. notarie, from L. notarius "shorthand writer, clerk, secretary," from notare, "to note," from nota "shorthand character, letter, note" (see note). Meaning "person authorized to attest contracts, etc." is from 1340; esp. in notary public (1494), which has the Fr. order of subject-adj.

insolvent 1591, "unable to pay one's debts," from in- "not" + L. solventem "paying" (see solvent). Originally of one who was not a trader; only traders could become bankrupt.

bankrupt 1533, from It. banca rotta, from banca "moneylender's shop," lit. "bench" (see bank (1)) + rotta "broken, defeated, interrupted" from (and remodeled on) L. rupta, fem. pp. of rumpere "to break" (see rupture). The verb is first recorded 1552.