'bagatine' ultimately originates from French, specifically the word 'bagatelle' (from Italian 'bagattella'), where the root conveyed the sense of 'a trifle' or 'a light thing'.

'bagatine' appears in English as a rare or archaic borrowing influenced by French 'bagatelle' and Italian 'bagattella'; the French form 'bagatelle' and related Italian diminutive forms evolved into occasional English variants such as 'bagatine'.

Initially it meant 'a trifle' or 'something of little consequence', and this basic meaning has been retained though the word remains rare in modern English.