Why is lbs stand for pounds

The Italian lira also used that symbol with two lines through it , the word "lira" itself being a shortened version of libra. The word came into English from Anglo-Norman French, where it was unce or ounce , but the abbreviation was borrowed from Medieval Italian, where the word was onza.

These days the Italian word is oncia , and the area once covered by the Roman Empire has long since switched to the metric system. Skip to header Skip to main content Skip to footer Feature. But the Americans and British aren't the only people to take words from the Ancient romans. The Italian word "lira," which was the country's currency from to , also derives from libra. As does the pound sign today more commonly known as a hashtag , which is a nod to the way medieval scribes wrote the abbreviation "lb.

And there you have it! Product Reviews. Home Ideas. The word "pound" comes from ancient Roman when the unit of measure was libra pondo , which meant "a pound by weight. However, the abbreviation "lb" is derived from the libra part of the word. The former Italian currency the "lira" also derives from libra. If all this talk of libra is setting off a light bulb in your head, that's because it's also the name of seventh sign of the zodiac, which is typically symbolized by scales.

Related: Our Guide to Baking Substitutions. If all this talk of libra is setting off a light bulb in your head, that's because it's also the name of seventh sign of the zodiac, which is typically symbolized by scales. That's because the sign is associated with balance, and is related to weights and measurements. As for the word ounce, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica , it originates from the Latin word uncia , which was the name for both a Roman unit of weight and length.

According to The Week , uncia was borrowed by the Anglo-Norman French as "ounce" and then lent to their neighbors in England.