obol etymology

Etymology

The word "obol" comes from the Ancient Greek word "ὀβολός" (obolós), which can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root "wegʰ-/", meaning "to weigh."

Meaning and Origin

In ancient Greece, an obol was a small silver coin worth one-sixth of a drachma. It was the smallest denomination of currency in use at the time.

Oboloi were first minted in the 6th century BCE in the city-state of Aegina. They were quickly adopted by other Greek city-states and became the standard unit of currency throughout the Greek world.

Oboloi were used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Making purchases of small items
  • Paying tolls and taxes
  • As a form of tribute or compensation
  • As a donation to religious temples

In addition to its monetary value, the obol also had a symbolic meaning. It was often used as a token of passage for the dead, who were believed to pay an obol to Charon, the ferryman of the dead, in order to cross the River Styx into the underworld.

Today, the word "obol" is still used to refer to a small amount of money or a nominal payment. It is also used in the phrase "not worth a plug nickel," which means something is worthless or trivial.

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