The term originates from the value of a pound weight (Latin: libra) of high purity silver and as such is a direct cognate of the British pound sterling; in some countries, such as Cyprus and Malta, the words lira and pound were used as equivalents, before the euro was adopted in 2008 in the two countries.
O termo provén do valor do peso físico dunha libra de prata de alta pureza, gardando unha directa relación coa libra esterlina; nalgúns países, como Chipre e Malta, as palabras liras e libra foron empregadas como se fosen sinónimos, antes de que o euro fose aprobado no 2008 naqueles países.