The term sack has a variety of meanings, including being fired from a job, a play in football, looting a city, or putting something in a bag. The origins of the first two meanings stem from the French phrase mettre a sac, which translates to “put it in a bag” in English, referring to the act of packing up booty during plundering. The noun form of the word also relates to putting something in a bag. Ultimately, the word traces back to Proto-Germanic sakkuz, borrowed from Latin saccus meaning “large bag,” which is the root of terms like sac, satchel, and saccade. It is believed that the Latin term, through Ancient Greek sakkos, has its origins in Proto-Semitic languages, with similar terms found in Hebrew saq and other Middle Eastern languages. The use of the word sack in literature has remained consistent since the eighteenth century.
