In historical legal contexts, a deposit or pledge given as a token of good faith to secure a contract or agreement.
From Latin arrha, possibly borrowed from Greek arrabón or from Semitic languages. The term traveled through medieval European legal traditions to describe earnest money or deposits that sealed a deal.
Arrha appears in medieval contracts across Europe—it's the ancestor of the modern 'earnest money' concept, and some scholars think it might come from Hebrew through trade relationships in the Mediterranean.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.