Sous
/suːz/noun
The plural of sou, a former French coin and a small amount of money.
Did you know?The sou descended from the Latin solidus, the gold coin that also gave English the word “soldier,” originally someone paid in solidi.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin, 4th Century
Latin
solidus
“Solid, substantial; also a Roman gold coin”
Medieval Latin
Latin
solidus
“A monetary unit used across the Roman and later European worlds”
Old French, 9th–12th Century
Old French
sol
“A coin derived from Latin solidus”
Middle French, 13th–16th Century
French
sou
“A small French coin or a small sum of money”
18th Century
English
sous
“English plural of sou, referring to French coins or tiny amounts of money”
Modern English
English
sous
“The plural of sou, often used historically or figuratively for a negligible amount of money”
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