'ark' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'arca', where 'arca' meant 'chest' or 'box'.

'ark' changed from Old English/ Middle English forms such as 'earc'/'ark(e)' (influenced by Latin 'arca' and possibly by Greek biblical terms) and eventually became the modern English word 'ark'.

Initially, it meant 'a chest or box', but over time it evolved to include the meanings 'Noah's vessel' and 'sacred chest', and figuratively 'a refuge or shelter'.