Greek and Latin Roots of English: Symbol

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word symbol means: 

• an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality.
• a letter, group of letters, character, or picture that is used instead of a word or group of words.

It comes from Late Latin symbolum "creed, token, mark", that comes from Greek symbolon (σύμβολον) "token, watchword, sign by which one infers; ticket, a permit, license", from assimilated form of syn- "together"+ -bole "a throwing, a casting, the stroke of a missile, bolt, beam", from bol-, nominative stem of ballein "to throw".

Other words referring to syn- are: symphony, symmetry or symbiont. 

Other words reffering to -bole and ballein are: discobolus, ballista and metabolism.

We can see this word in the BBC News website. 

By: Violeta Segade Quintas 3ºESO A. @violetasegade

Greek and Latin Roots of English: Symbol