English
doubloon
Doubloon comes from Spanish doblón, from doble ‘double’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- ‘two’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwi-‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwiplós‘double, twofold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*duplos‘double’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduplus‘double’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentdoble‘double’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentdoblónaugmentative of doble
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdoublon
- Englishearliest quotation 1883doubloon
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwi-‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwiplós‘double, twofold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*duplos‘double’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduplus‘double’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentdoble‘double’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentdoblónaugmentative of doble
- Frenchc. 1600–presentdoublon
- Englishearliest quotation 1883doubloon
Earliest quotation: 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson: “English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and…”
The story
From French doublon, from Spanish doblón, augmentative of doble (‘double’), because it was worth twice a pistole.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dwi- ‘two’
Today it means
noun A former Spanish gold coin, also used in its American colonies.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dwi- / doubloon