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erikson10 | 21:48 Fri 23rd Jul 2004 | Phrases & Sayings
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Why is the short for Pound ...... lb? Where do the letters come from?
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Avatar Image Gef
libra - Latin I think but here comes quizmonster just in case ............
21:50 Fri 23rd Jul 2004
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Libra
22:21 Fri 23rd Jul 2004
Avatar Image Quizmonster
As Gef says, it's from the Latin word 'libra'. In Roman times, it represented the equivalent of 12 rather than today's 16 ounces in weight. It is also where we get the '�' sign for pounds sterling.
08:09 Sat 24th Jul 2004
Avatar Image firefly
and hence l.s.d. for pounds, shillings and pence.
20:35 Sat 24th Jul 2004
Avatar Image Quizmonster
The 's' and 'd' in 'Lsd' - in money terms! - stand for 'solidi' and 'denarii'...two Roman coins.
08:12 Sun 25th Jul 2004
Avatar Image Bert
Supplementary question: is the libra which meant "pound" closely connected to the libra that means "scales" in the signs of the zodiac?
22:15 Sun 25th Jul 2004
Avatar Image Quizmonster
Yes. Both meanings of the word first made their appearance in English in the late 14th century. Librae (plural) were the arms of a balance/scales.
07:48 Mon 26th Jul 2004
Avatar Image Gef
Just a thought - did lire (the old Italian currency) come from the same word?
21:29 Mon 26th Jul 2004

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