Drachma
/ˈdræk.mə/noun
A historical Greek silver coin and unit of weight or currency.
Did you know?The drachma is tied to the Greek verb for “to grasp,” and its name likely began as a measure of what you could hold in your fist before becoming a coin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dhr̥gh- / *dhergh-
“To hold, grasp, or keep firmly”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δράσσομαι (drássomai) / δράκων?
“To grasp, seize; related Greek forms developed from the same idea of taking hold”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δραχμή (drakhmḗ)
“A handful; later a weight and then a silver coin”
Classical Latin
Latin
dracma
“A Greek drachma, used in borrowing the Greek monetary term”
Middle English
English
drachme / drachma
“A Greek coin or weight, borrowed through scholarly and commercial use”
Modern English
English
drachma
“The former basic monetary unit of Greece”