Obolus

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See also: obolus

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός (obolós).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈoːbolʊs/, /ˈɔbolʊs/[1]
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Obolus m (strong, genitive Obolus, plural Obolen or Obole or Oboli or Oboloi or Obolus or Obolusse, diminutive Obolchen n)

  1. (historical, chiefly Ancient Greece) obol (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, []
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 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, []
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  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" and Greek "Oboloi". The invariant plural "Obolus" and the plural "Obolusse" are rare.
  • The diminutive "Obolchen" is vanishingly rare:
    • 1956, Arnolt Bronnen, transl., Aisopos: Sieben Berichte aus Hellas, page 93:
      Dort werden wir für unser Holz zwölf Obolchen bekommen.
      There we'll get twelve little obols for our wood.

Declension

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Duden

Further reading