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Webster 1913 Edition


Obolus


Ob′o-lus

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Oboli
(#)
.
[L., fr. Gr. ([GREEK])]
(Gr.Antiq.)
(a)
A small silver coin of Athens, the sixth part of a drachma, about three cents in value.
(b)
An ancient weight, the sixth part of a drachm.

Webster 1828 Edition


Obolus

OB'OLUS

,
Noun.
[L. from G.] A small silver coin of Athens, the sixth part of a drachma, about two cents in value, or a penny farthing sterling.

Definition 2024


Obolus

Obolus

See also: obolus

German

Alternative forms

  • Obolos

Noun

Obolus m (genitive Obolus, plural Obolen) (several other forms are also used, see usage notes)

  1. (historical, chiefly Ancient Greece) obolus (coin)
    • 1851, J. F. Neigebaur, Die Süd-Slaven und deren Länder in Beziehung auf Geschichte, Cultur und Verfassung, page 94:
      Die älteste Silbermünze, welche hier bekannt ist, war der halbe Denar, 15 Oboli enthaltend; auf der einen Seite ist ein Christuskopf mit der Inschrift: „Iesus Christus" in gothischen Buchstaben, []
    • 2000, Hellmut Baumann, Pflanzenbilder auf griechischen Münzen, page 9:
      Während zunächst nur große Münzen geprägt wurden, begann sehr bald auch die Produktion kleinerer Nominale. Ein Talent umfaßte 60 Minen, eine Mine 100 Drachmen und eine Drachme 6 Oboloi, []
  2. a small monetary donation

Usage notes

  • Several dictionaries, including the University of Leipzig's, the Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, and the Duden,[1] list "Obolus" and "Obolusse" as the only plural forms, though "Obolen" is the most common plural form even in the DWDS corpus. These dictionaries also list "Obolus" as the only genitive; "Obolusses" is also attested, but is rare.
  • In literature, "Obolen" is by far the most common plural, followed by "Obole", followed by the Latinate plural "Oboli". The invariant plural "Obolus" and the plural "Obolusse" are rare.
  • The diminutive "Obolchen" is vanishingly rare:
    • 1956, Aisopos: Sieben Berichte aus Hellas, translated by Arnolt Bronnen, page 93:
      Dort werden wir für unser Holz zwölf Obolchen bekommen.
      There we'll get twelve little obolus-coins for our wood.

References

  1. 1 2 Duden

obolus

obolus

See also: Obolus

English

Alternative forms

Noun

obolus (plural oboli)

  1. A silver coin minted in Ancient Greece, valued at a sixth of a drachma.

Translations


Latin

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈo.bo.lus/, [ˈɔ.bɔ.ɫʊs]

Noun

obolus m (genitive obolī); second declension

  1. obolus

Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative obolus obolī
genitive obolī obolōrum
dative obolō obolīs
accusative obolum obolōs
ablative obolō obolīs
vocative obole obolī

References