Tala
/ˈtɑː.lə/noun
The basic monetary unit of Samoa.
Did you know?Samoa adopted the tala in 1967, and its name is a Samoan adaptation of the English word “dollar,” whose ultimate ancestor was a coin minted in a Bohemian valley.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Czech
tolar
“A large silver coin associated with Joachimsthal, meaning “Joachim’s Valley,” in Bohemia.”
16th Century
German
Joachimsthaler
“A silver coin from Joachimsthal; the shortened form became Thaler.”
16th–17th Century
German
Thaler
“A widely circulated silver coin and monetary unit.”
17th Century
Dutch
daalder
“A Dutch form of Thaler, used for a large silver coin.”
17th–18th Century
English
dollar
“A borrowing from Dutch daalder, later used for various silver coins and currencies.”
1967
Samoan
tālā
“The Samoan monetary unit, adapted from English dollar.”