Lev
/lɛv/noun
The basic monetary unit of Bulgaria.
Did you know?The name comes from the lion depicted on medieval Bulgarian coins and ultimately traces back through Old Bulgarian to the Latin word leo, “lion.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewōn
“Lion; a reconstructed Indo-European animal name”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λέων (leōn)
“Lion”
Classical Latin
Latin
leō
“Lion”
Medieval Bulgarian
Old Bulgarian
лѣвъ (lěvŭ)
“Lion”
1881
Bulgarian
лев (lev)
“The Bulgarian monetary unit, named for the lion”
Modern English
English
lev
“The basic monetary unit of Bulgaria”