[Ads-l] Coinage of "Cryptocurrency" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mark Mandel]

Yes, and the name ECU was dropped, as I recall reading around that time,
because of its association with one European country's currency: its
similarity to "écu", which iirc had been considered as a reason *for*
calling it that.

<https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecu>

*ecu* noun (1)
\ ˈā-ˌkyü, ā-ˈkᵫ\
plural ecus\ ˈä-​ˌkyüz, ā-​ˈkᵫz \

*Definition of ecu*

 (Entry 1 of 2)
: any of various old French units of value also : a coin representing an ecu

*ecu* noun (2), often capitalized E&C&U
\ ˌē-(ˌ)sē-ˈyü\

*Definition of ecu* (Entry 2 of 2)
: a money of account based on the currency units of members of the European
Union from 1979 up to the introduction of the euro in 1999

*First Known Use of ecu*

Noun (1)
circa 1593, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)
1970, in the meaning defined above

*History and Etymology for ecu*

Noun (1)
Middle French, literally, shield, from Old French *escu*, from Latin
*scutum*; from the device of a shield on the coin — more at *esquire*

Noun (2)
European Currency Unit (influenced by French *écu* ecu)

© 2019 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated





On Mon, Feb 4, 2019, 6:04 PM Chris Waigl <chris at lascribe.net wrote:

> On Mon, Feb 4, 2019 at 11:35 AM MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM
> AMRDEC (USA) <0000099bab68be9a-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
> >
> >
> >
> > cryptocurrency
> >
> > Melbourne, Victoria, Australia _The Age_ 4 Nov 1990 Money section p 5
> > "ECU (European Currency Unit): A crypto-currency based on a basket of
> > Eurocurrencies loosely weighted on the relative strength of each EC
> > economy. . . The ECU is not actually a physical currency in that it is
> not
> > represented by notes or coins."
> >
>
> Yeah, but that wasn't the current sense at all. The ECU was the predecessor
> of the Euro until its actual introduction. Until if I remember correctly
> 2002, it was a currency that existed virtually, according to a treaty
> between central banks, but not in the form of circulating notes and coins.
> The Age calls this "crypto-currency". Nothing to do with cryptography.
>
> --
> Chris Waigl . chris.waigl at gmail.com . chris at lascribe.net
> http://eggcorns.lascribe.net . http://chryss.eu
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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