"Cassette" is just appending the French dimunitive "ette" to "casse", which means "case". So "cassette" just refers to something being in a little box. The word itself has nothing to do with there being tape inside.
In English, the word became strongly associated with cassette tapes because it wasn't widely used before those came around, but the word itself is much older and more general.
The original name for audio cassettes was Compact Cassette, which presumably inspired Compact Disc. But that moniker was long forgotten by the time CDs came out (although its logo probably still appeared on some cassette shells).
I always considered "Compact Disc" to be a dumb name; but I suppose it was forgivable as a reference to the much larger LaserDisc.
I always assumed it was a reference to music vinyl records. (Same size as LaserDisc.)
Per the Wikipedia article on Compact Disc:
"The compact disc is an evolution of LaserDisc technology, where a focused laser beam is used that enables the high information density required for high-quality digital audio signals."
I ll add that the usage "cassette" refers usually to a tape in a plastic case, like the VHS cassette, the audio cassette.
The words referred to a box where coins where stored. It s probably still used in banks, like when ATMs are refilled.
Surprisingly for "LTO tape", french mostly uses the literal translation of "LTO tape" and sometimes "LTO cartridge" too ; the use of "cassette" is uncommon.
I just discovered it's the word for a bicycle component too.
There is the word "caissette" too, which is a box, small but not necessarily extra small as the "ette" prefix usually suggests in french though. I guess it depends of the context. ("Caisse" == "box")
There is yet another word for small boxes made of wood usually used for vegetables and fruits: "cagette".
"Casse" exists too with another meaning : it s a vehicle graveyard. (It comes from the translation of "to break" wich is the verb "casser").
> I ll add that the usage "cassette" refers usually to a tape in a plastic case, like the VHS cassette, the audio cassette.
It only acquired that association due to the prevalence of audio and video tapes being enclosed in cassettes from the 1970s on, and will likely lose it as time goes on.
In terms of underlying meaning, "cartridge" and "cassette" are largely interchangeable, and on the other end of this, there are situations in which "tape cartridge" has been a common construction (especially with backup tape drives that were common in the '80s and '90s). 8-track tapes have also historically been called cartridges.