Money Is Named After a Roman Goddess
Money is a medium of exchange. The word comes from a title of the goddess Juno, in whose temple Rome struck its coins.
Money is any generally accepted medium of exchange. Its name is religious in origin: Rome minted its coins in the temple of *Juno Moneta*, and the goddess's title — from *monere*, to warn or advise — attached itself first to the mint and then to what came out of it. *Mint* itself comes from the same word, through a different route. So *money*, *mint* and *monitor* all descend from a verb meaning to warn.
- A medium of exchange. *Making money.*
- Mint — where coins are made. *The Royal Mint.*
- Monetary — of money. *Monetary policy.*
- Juno Moneta — the goddess. *The temple of Juno Moneta.*
- Latin — *monere*, to warn. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | money | A lot of money. |
| Plural | moneys | Public moneys. |
| Adjective | monetary | Monetary value. |
| Related | mint | The mint. |
| Latin | moneta | Mint, money. |
- The money was transferred yesterday.Finance.
- Coins were struck in Juno's temple.History.
- Mint and money share a root.Etymology.
What money has to do
- Medium of exchange — accepted in payment
- Unit of account — a common way of stating prices
- Store of value — holds worth over time
- Standard of deferred payment — usable to settle debts later
- Anything doing these jobs can function as money, including shells and cigarettes
Old French *moneie*, from Latin *moneta*, mint or coinage, from the temple of Juno Moneta where Roman coins were struck.
Why is money named after a goddess?
Rome struck its coins in the temple of Juno Moneta, and her title became the word for the mint and then for the coins.
Are money and monitor related?
Yes. Both go back to Latin monere, to warn or advise, which gave Juno her title Moneta.