Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “obolus” come from?

obolus (English) comes from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός, from Ancient Greek βέλος, from Proto-Indo-European gʷélHos, from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

obolus (English): A silver coin minted in Ancient Greece, valued at...

Definitions

  1. A silver coin minted in Ancient Greece, valued at...

Ancestry of “obolus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinobolusobolus
2Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
3Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
4Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
5Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “obolus”

  • obolary
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →