Etymograph

English

cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency comes from Ancient Greek κρῠπτός ‘concealed, hidden, secret’, and goes back to κρῠ́πτω.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρῠ́πτωkrŭ́ptō‘to conceal’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρῠπτόςkrŭptós‘concealed, hidden, secret’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1995cryptocurrency

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρῠ́πτωkrŭ́ptō‘to conceal’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρῠπτόςkrŭptós‘concealed, hidden, secret’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1995cryptocurrency

Earliest quotation: 1995, Daniel Akst, Info Highway May Convert Your PC Into a Gambling Mecca: “As secure Internet payment systems develop, of course, betting…”

A compound of crypto- ‘cryptographic’ + currency

Ancient Greek κρῠ́πτω ‘to hide’

Ancient Greek κρῠπτός ‘hidden, secret’

English crypto-

Latin currēns ‘running’

Medieval Latin currentia

English currency

Linked words

through Ancient Greek κρῠ́πτω ‘to conceal’

krypton, decrypt, encrypt, 12 more

Today it means

noun A digital currency based on a cryptographic system, usually having no central issuing or regulating authority.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek κρῠ́πτω / cryptocurrency

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