Sheqel
/ˈʃɛkəl/noun
A transliteration of the Hebrew unit of weight and currency now usually spelled “shekel.”
Did you know?The sheqel originally referred to a standardized weight, and the modern Israeli shekel deliberately revived this ancient biblical name for its currency.
Etymological Timeline
3rd Millennium BCE
Akkadian
šiqlu
“A unit of weight, from the Semitic root meaning “to weigh.””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שֶׁקֶל — šéqel
“A weight used in measuring precious metals and other commodities.”
1st Millennium BCE
Aramaic
שקל — sheqel
“A corresponding unit of weight and, later, a monetary denomination.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σίγλος — siglos
“A Persian or Near Eastern silver coin, probably borrowed through regional monetary usage.”
Classical Latin
Latin
siclus
“A shekel, especially the biblical or Jewish unit of weight and money.”
Modern English
English
sheqel
“A scholarly or Hebrew-based transliteration of “shekel,” also used for the Israeli currency.”