I am trying to find out if there is any connection between 'gopher' wood, the wood from which Noah is supposed to have built his ark and 'coffer', in the sense of a strong wooden chest. Gopher seems to be derived from 'kophein' the Greek for basket and an ark is also a strong box as in the ark of the covenant ('arca', 'arcere' etc.). Any thoughts?
1 Answer
Probably not, according to Etymonline:
The gopherwood tree of the Bible (used by Noah to make the ark, Gen. vi:14) is ... from Heb. gofer, perhaps meaning the cypress.
And:
coffer (n.) mid-13c., from Old French cofre "a chest" (12c., Modern French coffre), from Latin cophinus "basket" (see coffin).
