Solidus
/ˈsɒlɪdəs/noun
A Roman gold coin, later a unit of weight or accounting; also used historically in English for a slash mark.
Did you know?Solidus comes from Latin solidus, meaning “solid” or “firm,” and its name was chosen for a gold coin because it was meant to be a stable, reliable piece of imperial power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sol-
“to be whole, firm, or dense”
Latin
Latin
solidus
“firm, dense, whole, unbroken”
Late Roman Empire
Latin
solidus
“a gold coin of fixed weight and high purity”
Medieval Latin
Latin
solidus
“a unit of account or weight; later also a slash-like mark in writing”
Modern English
English
solidus
“a historical Roman gold coin; in typography, a slash or oblique stroke”