From country to country, monetary units vary nearly as much as the cultures and languages that use them. But have you ever wondered why a dollar is called a ‘dollar’?
The reason Pakistan’s passport is green
A recent post on the Oxford Dictionary’s ‘OxfordWords blog’ explained the origins of the names of the world’s most common currencies.
Here’s where these everyday words come from:
Dollar
The dollar is the world’s most common currency, used in the US, Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Singapore and elsewhere.
According to OxfordWords, the Flemish or Low German word “joachimsthal” referred to Joachim’s Valley where silver was once mined. Coins minted from this mine became “joachimsthaler,” which was later shortened to “thaler” and which eventually morphed into “dollar.”
Peso
“Peso” literally means “weight” in Spanish.
