2040: lira Jul 16, 2020

The Lira was the old currency of Italy before the Euro, along with Malta, San Marino and the Vatican. The fact then that it would come from Latin 'libra' for 'pound (of gold)' shouldn't be too surprising, but what's more surprising is that is is still used in Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and was used in Egypt, Israel, and Cyprus to name a few. Actually, this is because of the Venetian Lira which was once widely circulated around the Mediterranean and eventually the Ottoman Empire, but also other translations like the French Livre used for 1013 years or the still-used British pounds are actually quite common.

Watch the latest video.

Get Word Facts Merch.

Support on Patreon.com/wordfacts

Screen Shot 2020-07-17 at 5.36.16 AM.png
Previous
Previous

2041: Where's the '-hu' in Elijah (or Eliyahu) Jul 17, 2020

Next
Next

2039: An Examination of Proof Jul 15, 2020