'purse' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'pursa' (or 'purs'), ultimately from Latin 'bursa', where 'bursa' meant 'bag' or 'purse'.

'purse' changed from Old English 'pursa' (borrowed via Old French forms such as 'borse'/'bourse' from Latin 'bursa') and eventually became the modern English word 'purse'.

Initially, it meant 'a bag for carrying money', but over time it developed additional senses; from the noun sense of a small bag came the verb/adjective sense 'to draw together/contract' (as in 'purse one's lips').