The term casual has a long history, dating back to the 1370s when it was spelled casuel. Over time, it evolved to casuall before settling on its current form in the mid-seventeenth century. Derived from Middle French and ultimately from the Latin word causalis meaning “by chance”, the term originally conveyed the idea of irregularity before shifting to signify informality. Causalis itself comes from the Latin word casus meaning “event”, which is rooted in the verb cadere for “fall” – in ancient times, events were likened to falling, similar to the term befall. The word casual has maintained a consistent usage pattern over the past century.
