Bag

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A bag (also known regionally as a sack) is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material.^[1] Bags can be used to carry items such as personal belongings, groceries, and other objects. They comes in various shapes and sizes, often equipped with handles or straps for easier carrying.

Bags have been fundamental for the development of human civilization, as they allow people to easily collect and carry loose materials, such as berries or food grains, also allowing them to carry more items in their hands.^[1]

The word probably has its origins in the Norse word baggi,^[2] from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European bʰak, but is also comparable to the Welsh baich (load, bundle), and the Greek Τσιαντουλίτσα (Chandulícha, load).

Cheap disposable paper bags and plastic shopping bags are very common, varying in size and strength in the retail trade as a convenience for shoppers, and are often supplied by the shop for free or for a small fee. Customers may also take their own shopping bag(s) to use in shops.

Although paper had been used for wrapping and padding in Ancient China since the 2nd century BC,^[3] the first use of paper bags in China (for preserving the flavor of tea) came during the later Tang dynasty (618–907 AD).^[3]