leu.

Either inherited or a later learned borrowing from Latin leō (“lion”) (around the 17th century), itself from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn). All the other Romance cognates were derived from the accusative form leōnem or genitive leōnis (and some were borrowings themselves). Cf. also lăun and Lăune(le) (“a river in Romania”), as well as leoaie. For the name of the currency, it was probably based on the Dutch leeuwendaalder (“lion thaler/dollar”), which depicted a lion; compare daalder, also German Löwenthaler. This traces back to the 17th century, when the Dutch currency was used in the Romanian principalities. Another explanation gives the origin of this sense as a calque of Ottoman Turkish آرسلان (arslan, “lion”), which was also used to refer to a type of currency with a lion on it; see also piastru (English piastre). Compare also the sense of currency with Bulgarian лев (lev).