Obol

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɑ.bəl/

Definitions

1. A small silver coin used in ancient Greece ; a tiny fraction of money or payment
2. An old coin of low value once used in Greece ; a minimal sum or modest contribution
3. A historic Greek currency piece of minor worth ; a negligible amount of cash or offering

Etymology: The ancient Greek coin "obolos" got its name from a humble object: a spit, the kind used for roasting meat. The Greek word "obolos" literally meant a spit or skewer, and it was the image of the coin's value that gave the name its new sense. Early Greek coinage in the region was often valued in units of weight, and the small silver piece that became the obol was so light and modest that it was thought of as a little spike of metal, a spit-sized unit of currency. English borrowed the word directly from Greek, so "obol" is a learned term used by historians and classicists rather than something that passed through everyday speech. It shares its history with two other English words, "obole" and "pul" (a small coin of Afghanistan and neighboring regions), which are doublets: forms of the same ancient word that reached English by different routes and took on different shapes.