Definify.com
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.
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)
- (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, […]
- 1851, J. F. Neigebaur, Die Süd-Slaven und deren Länder in Beziehung auf Geschichte, Cultur und Verfassung, page 94:
- 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.
- Dort werden wir für unser Holz zwölf Obolchen bekommen.
- 1956, Aisopos: Sieben Berichte aus Hellas, translated by Arnolt Bronnen, page 93:
References
obolus
obolus
See also: Obolus
English
Alternative forms
Noun
obolus (plural oboli)
- A silver coin minted in Ancient Greece, valued at a sixth of a drachma.
Translations
silver coin
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈo.bo.lus/, [ˈɔ.bɔ.ɫʊs]
Noun
obolus m (genitive obolī); second declension
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
- obolus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- obolus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- OBOLUS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “obolus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
- obolus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- obolus in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin