drachma Latin · revision 34537

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=Plautus (c. 250–184 BC)|origins=grc δραχμή}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈdrakʰ.ma]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈdrak.ma]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''drachma''' ''f'' (genitive drachmae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ The older form ''drachuma'' is usual in comedy and in Ennius.^(Georges 1913)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ The genitive plural is usually ''drachmārum'', but ''drachmūm'' is also found.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ A later spelling is ''dragma''.^(Georges 1913)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|δραχμή|tr=drakhmḗ|t=drachma]];^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Saalfeld 1874) Wiktionary takes it from the Doric form [[m|grc|δραχμά|tr=drakhmá]].^(Wiktionary) Köbler and Etymonline explain the Greek word as originally “a handful”, a noun from [[m|grc|δράσσομαι|tr=drássomai|t=to grasp]].^(Köbler 2010)^(Etymonline) Beekes calls this the usual explanation, but notes that the Greek variants with ⟨drach-⟩ and ⟨darch-⟩ point rather to a Pre-Greek word.^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It appears first in Plautus and Ennius, in the older form ''drachuma'', as the name of a Greek silver coin.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The drachma was worth about as much as the Roman ''dēnārius'', and 6,000 of them made a talent.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012) As a weight it was an eighth of an ''uncia'', and it is used as such in Cato's recipes and in Pliny's medicine.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ A later spelling was ''dragma'';^(Georges 1913) through Medieval Latin ''dragma'' and Old French ''dragme'' the word reached English in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ''drachuma'' for the Greek coin.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses the same form.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato measures an ingredient by the drachma.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses the form ''drachuma''.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it as a weight in medical recipes.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English borrows the word through Old French ''dragme''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|drachma]], a Greek silver coin of about the value of a [[dēnārius]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A Greek weight, an eighth of an ounce; a [[m|en|dram]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[drachumissō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|drachma]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}