The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 40, October 6, 2002, Article 11

THE WORDS "TOKEN" AND "JETON"

  Jørgen Sømod writes: "Formerly a token in Danish was called
  TEGN, in medieval language Thegen and in German  Zeichen.
  It seems to be the same word as token.  On older Flemish
  tokens are used Teeken, Teeckn and Teecken.  In Denmark
  the word disappeared 100 years ago.  After then were used
  many words including Wærdi-Mærke, translated from German
  Werth-Marke.  The word pollett is known in Sweden since
  1623, where it was spelled bollet and it is told the word comes
  from French poulet, which means little letter.  The word polet
  with different spelling for each country is now accepted in
  Norwegian, Icelandic and Finnish.   It is not known, why in
  Costa Rica they are using the word  boleto.  In Estonia they
  use the word koduraha, which can be translated as home money.

  Jeton is in Denmark only used for small medals, casino chips
  and counters for card play in private homes.  Jeton as token is
  known in Turkey.  In Italy under the name gettone, further in
  Russia, Serbia and Poland.  The French word méreau, used
  since 12th century seems not used in other languages and it
  means from church Latin merallus.  In Latin is normal used
  tessera, which may be taken from Greek.  The German Marke
  (Wert-Marke etc.) is seen in Russian Marka and in Polish
  Marka Kredytowa. In Norway  betalingsmærke or
  betalingsmerke, of which betaling means payment.

  In The Netherlands are seen  betaalpenning and waardegeld;
  and in Iceland vörupening. Further in Poland, Monety Zastêpcze,
  which means emergency money.  In Czechs is used známka and
  in Hungarian  barcza, which in a Hungarian-English dictionary
  is translated into  brass-ticket In Spain, Portugal and
  Southamerica is used Fichas.  In Venezuela or Columbia is
  seen SEÑA, which may be the same word as English sign.
  It sounds nearly as the German Zeichen, why the English words
  token and sign may have the same origin.  In Greenland is not a
  special word for token.  They are using the word for coin,
  aningâq.  When coins first time arrived the Eskimos, they did
  not know what to call them. But the coin looked like the moon
  and therefore moon and coin is the same word in Greenlandic."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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