Groschen
/ˈɡʁɔʃn̩/noun
A former German coin worth 12 pfennigs, used in several German-speaking countries.
Did you know?Groschen comes from the same root as English *groat* and ultimately Latin *grossus* (“thick, large”), a reminder that money words often began as size words before becoming symbols of value.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
grossus
“thick, bulky, large”
13th Century
Old French
gros
“thick; large; heavy”
13th Century
Middle High German
gros
“a large silver coin”
14th Century
Middle Low German
groschen
“a coin worth several pfennigs”
Modern English
English
groschen
“a historical German coin or monetary unit”