Aureus
/ˈɔː.ri.əs/noun
Aureus was an ancient Roman gold coin, and in Latin it also meant 'golden' or 'made of gold.'
Did you know?Aureus comes from the same ancient root that gave Latin *aurum* (“gold”) and words like *aurora* (“dawn”), linking gold, sunrise, and brilliance in one luminous family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ews-
“to shine, dawn”
Proto-Italic
PI
*ausos
“dawn, brightness”
Latin
Latin
aureus
“golden, made of gold”
Classical Latin
Latin
aureus
“a gold coin of the Roman monetary system”
Modern English
English
aureus
“used chiefly in historical or scientific contexts for something gold-colored or gold-related”