libra | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

18 entries found.

zodiac constellation represented by a pair of scales, late Old English, from Latin libra "a balance, pair of scales," also "pound (unit of weight)," from Proto-Italic *leithra- "pound." De Vaan compares Greek litra "name of a Sicilian coin," which "was probably borrowed from an Italic language at the stage containing [-thr-]."

Not a separate constellation in ancient Greece, where it was khelae, "the claws" of adjacent Skorpios. Nativized in Old Norse as skala-merki. Meaning "person born under the sign of Libra" is from 1894. Related: Libral; Libran.

lira (n.)

Italian monetary unit, 1610s, from Italian lira, literally "pound," from Latin libra "pound (unit of weight);" see Libra, and compare livre. There also was a Turkish lira.

l.s.d.

abbreviation of British currency units, 1853, from first letters of Late Latin librae (see Libra), solidi (see solidus), denarii (see denarius), Roman equivalent of "pounds, shillings, pence." Hence LSDeism "worship of money" (1892).

liter (n.)

unit of capacity in the metric system, 1797, from French litre (1793), from litron, name of an obsolete French measure of capacity for grain (16c.), from Medieval Latin litra, from Greek litra "pound" (unit of weight), which apparently is from the same Sicilian Italic source as Latin libra (see Libra).

equilibrium (n.)

c. 1600, "state of mental balance," from Latin aequilibrium "an even balance; a horizontal position," from aequilibris "equal, level, horizontal, evenly balanced," from aequus "equal" (see equal (adj.)) + libra "a balance, pair of scales, plummet" (see Libra). Related: Equilibrious.

livre (n.)

former French money, 1550s, from French livre "pound," in Old French in both the weight and money senses (10c.), from Latin libra "pound (unit of weight);" see Libra. The monetary sense in Latin was in the derived word libella "small silver coin." Superseded by the franc.

deliberate (adj.)

early 15c., "done with careful consideration," from Latin deliberatus "resolved upon, determined," past participle of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Meaning "characterized by slowness in decision, consciously unhurried" is attested by 1590s. Related: Deliberateness.

deliberative (adj.)

1550s, "pertaining to deliberation," from French délibératif or directly from Latin deliberativus "pertaining to deliberation," from past-participle stem of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Meaning "characterized by deliberation" is by 1650s. Related: Deliberatively; deliberativeness.

deliberate (v.)

1540s, "weigh in the mind, consider carefully;" 1550s, "discuss and examine the reasons for or against," from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Related: Deliberated; deliberating. The earlier form of the verb in English was deliberen (late 14c.), from Old French deliberer and directly from Latin deliberare.

deliberation (n.)

late 14c., deliberacioun, "act of weighing and examining," from Old French deliberation, from Latin deliberationem (nominative deliberatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra).

Sense of "slowness in decision or action" is from early 15c. Meaning "mutual discussion and examination of the reasons for and against a measure" is from late 15c..

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