Origin and history of mint

mint(n.1)

aromatic herb, plant of the genus Mentha, Old English minte (8c.), from West Germanic *minta (source also of Old Saxon minta, Middle Dutch mente, Old High German minza, German Minze), a borrowing from Latin menta, mentha "mint," itself from Greek minthē, personified as a nymph transformed into an herb by Proserpine, which is probably a loan-word from a lost Mediterranean language. For mint-julep, see julep.

mint(n.2)

place where money is coined, early 15c., from Old English mynet "coin, coinage, money" (8c.), from West Germanic *munita (source also of Old Saxon munita, Old Frisian menote, Middle Dutch munte, Old High German munizza, German münze), from Latin moneta "mint" (see money (n.) ). An earlier word for "place where money is coined" was minter (early 12c.). General sense of "a vast sum of money" is from 1650s. Mint-mark, "mark placed upon a coin to indicate the mint where it was struck," is from 1797.

also from early 15c.

mint(v.)

"to stamp metal to make coins," 1540s, from mint (n.2). Related: Minted; minting. Old English had the agent noun mynetere (Middle English minter) "one who stamps coins to create money," from Late Latin monetarius.

also from 1540s

mint(adj.)

"perfect" (like a freshly minted coin), 1887 (in mint condition), from mint (n.2).

also from 1887

Entries linking to mint

julep(n.)

late 14c., "syrupy drink in which medicine is given," from Old French julep (14c.), from Medieval Latin julapium, from Arabic julab, from Persian gulab "a sweet drink," also "rose water," from gul "rose" (related to Greek rhodon, Latin rosa; see rose (n.1)) + ab "water," from PIE root *ap- (2) "water" (for which see water (n.1)).

As the name of a sugared alcoholic drink flavored with mint, 1761, originally a medical recipe; the apothecary's name for it was julepum menthae.

money(n.)

mid-13c., monie, "funds, means, anything convertible into money;" c. 1300, "coinage, coin, metal currency," from Old French monoie "money, coin, currency; change" (Modern French monnaie), from Latin moneta "place for coining money, mint; coined money, money, coinage."

This is from Moneta, a title or surname of the Roman goddess Juno, near whose temple on the Capitoline Hill money was coined (and in which perhaps the precious metal was stored). The name is said to be from monere "advise, warn, admonish" (on the model of stative verbs in -ere; see monitor (n.)), by tradition with an etymological meaning "admonishing goddess," which is sensible, but the etymology is difficult. A doublet of mint (n.2)).

Extended by early 19c. to include paper recognized and accepted as a substitute for coin. The highwayman's threat your money or your life is attested by 1774. Phrase in the money (1902) originally referred to "one who finishes among the prize-winners" (in a horse race, etc.). The challenge to put (one's) money where (one's) mouth is is recorded by 1942 in African-American vernacular.

Money-grub for "avaricious person, one who is sordidly intent on amassing money" is from 1768; money-grubber is by 1835. The image of money burning a hole in someone's pocket is attested from 1520s (brennyd out the botom of hys purs).