From Latin saccellum 'little sack,' diminutive of saccus 'bag,' from Greek sakkos, from a Semitic word for coarse cloth.
A bag with a strap, typically carried over one shoulder, used for carrying books or personal belongings.
From Old French sachel, from Latin saccellum, a diminutive of saccus 'bag, sack' (from Greek sakkos, ultimately from a Semitic source — compare Hebrew saq 'sackcloth'). A satchel is thus, etymologically, 'a little sack.' Key roots: saq (Semitic (Hebrew/Phoenician): "sackcloth, coarse woven fabric").
Shakespeare mentioned satchels in his 'seven ages of man' speech in As You Like It: 'the whining schoolboy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.' The image of the satchel-carrying schoolchild has remained fixed in English culture for over four centuries.