Concept in Definition ABC

Like many other words in Spanish, medal comes from Italian, specifically from medaglia. The language Italian incorporated this word from Latin, because among the Romans the medial aes were used, copper coins with little value. To the margin of its etymology, we use this term in three senses:

1) as an ornament that serves to decorate clothing,

2) as a distinctive with which a person is recognized in the military or civil sphere or

3) as a prize in some sports competitions.

Regardless of its purpose, a medal is a piece of metal that normally has a round shape and inside it incorporates some kind of symbol or distinction.

The origin of the Olympic medals

In the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece the victor of some discipline he became a true hero and to recognize his triumph a crown with laurel leaves was placed on his head. That's precisely where the word laureate comes from.

At the end of the 19th century, the Olympic Games were restarted and in the first two events (1896 in Athens and 1900 in Paris) only the first and second classified in each discipline received an award. The winner obtained a silver medal and a laurel wreath and the second a gold medal along with another laurel wreath. It was at the third Olympic event (the 1904 Saint Louis Olympiad) that the

tradition to reward the first three classified (the winner with a gold medal, the second with a silver and the third with a bronze).

The Olympic tradition of awarding a gold medal to the first classified is related to the military establishment of the time, since in most armies gold medals were used to recognize the bravery of the military.

In the terminology of the Olympic Games, the Olympic medal table is also spoken, which is the ranking of medals of each nation.

Curiosities about the medals

Sometimes old coins that are no longer in circulation are turned into ornamental medals.

With some frequency they are used as a protective element against evil. For example, the medal in honor of Saint Benedict is used to protect people who feel distressed.

In most armies, medals are used to recognize the heroism of soldiers in combat. In this sense, the best known is the medal of honor. These types of awards also serve to honor someone in the civil sphere.

Photos: Fotolia - PackShot / Sergey Yarochkin

Themes in Medal