Talentum
/ˈtæ.lən.təm/noun
A historical unit of weight or money in ancient systems, especially in Greek and Roman use.
Did you know?The English word talent for natural ability comes from a completely different story: the biblical parable of the talents, where a “talent” was a sum of money, not a gift of skill.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tel-
“To lift, bear, or weigh; the deep root behind ideas of weight and balancing.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τάλαντον (tálanton)
“A balance scale; later, a fixed weight or sum of money.”
Classical Latin
Latin
talentum
“A talent, especially a large unit of weight or money borrowed from Greek.”
Late Latin
Latin
talentum
“A monetary unit in medieval and ecclesiastical use.”
Middle English
English
talent
“Initially a sum of money from Scripture, later reinterpreted as a natural aptitude.”