small decorative boxes used to store jewelry or valuables, or large boxes in which dead bodies are buried.
From Old French 'casque' (helmet), which originally meant the small rounded containers. The word transferred to mean small boxes in general, then later to funeral boxes—a euphemistic shift.
The word started as 'casque' meaning a small helmet or rounded container, then broadened to any decorative box. The funeral meaning is actually a modern euphemism—funeral directors preferred 'casket' over 'coffin' to make the business sound more refined, which is why it feels like a much newer term than it is.
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