Medal
/ˈmɛd.əl/noun
A small metal object awarded as a prize or honor, often for achievement or service.
Did you know?The word entered English through French and Italian from Latin metallum, so a medal is literally tied to the same ancient root as “metal” itself—an object meant to endure and declare value.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₂-
“to measure”
Latin
Latin
metallum
“metal; mine; mineral”
Late Latin
Latin
medalia
“a coin worth half a denarius”
Old French
Old French
medaille
“a medallion or coin-like disk”
Middle English
English
medaille
“a coin or commemorative disk”
Modern English
English
medal
“an award in the form of a metal disk”