A briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case made of vinyl or leather with a handle on the end and is used mainly for carrying papers and other documents. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, originating the name. Businesspeople and other professionals also use briefcases to carry important papers and laptops. The modern day briefcase's dimensions were made to perfectly fit a folded newspaper. The concept of a briefcase is borrowed for use in Microsoft Windows-based operating systems, where files placed within the briefcase can be synchronized between multiple computers and to converge file modifications. Most briefcases are derived from a limp satchel used in the fourteenth century for carrying money and valuables. It was called a "budget" derived from the Latin word "bulga" or Irish word "bolg" both meaning leather bag, which is where the financial term "budget" is also derived from. Godillot of Paris first used a hinged iron frame on a carpetbag in 1826. Then followed the Gladstone bag and the Rosebery, an oval-top bag. Eventually these became the modern metal-frame briefcase.
Types of Briefcases
A portfolio is a case without handles to be carried in hand or under the arm. The name comes from the Latin "portare" meaning "to carry" and "foglio" a "sheet". A folio case is a portfolio with a retractable handle An attaché is a box-style case made of leather, stretched over a hinged frame that opens into two compartments. It was traditionally carried by an attaché, a diplomatic officer attached to an embassy or consulate officially assigned to serve in a particular capacity (e.g., cultural attaché; military attaché).
