Etymograph

English

dram

Dram comes from Late Latin dragma ‘drachma (coin)’, from Ancient Greek δραχμή ‘unit of weight’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dregʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dregʰ-reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδρᾰ́σσομαιdrắssomai‘to hold, to seize’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδραχμήdrakhmḗ‘unit of weight’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdrachma
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdragma‘drachma (coin)’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400dragme
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dragme//dramme
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1644dram

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dregʰ-reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδρᾰ́σσομαιdrắssomai‘to hold, to seize’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδραχμήdrakhmḗ‘unit of weight’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdrachma
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdragma‘drachma (coin)’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400dragme
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dragme//dramme
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1644dram

Earliest quotation: 1644, John Milton, London: [s.n.]: “Were I the chooser, a dram of well-doing should…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek δραχμή ‘unit of weight’

dam, dirham, 5 more

through Latin drachma

drachma, 1 more

Another origin of dram

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dregʰ-reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδράσσομαιdrássomai‘to hold, seize’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδραχμήdrakhmḗ‘unit of weight, a handful’
  4. Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CE𐭦𐭥𐭦𐭭ZWZN‘drachm’
  5. Armenianmodernդրամdram
  6. Englishtodaydram

Today it means

noun A small unit of weight, variously: Synonym of dirhem: a former Turkish unit of weight (variously 1.5–3.5 g).

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dregʰ- / dram

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