ecu
‘old French silver coin’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
F. écu ‘a shield’ < O.F. escu ‘shield, coat of arms’ < Lat. scutum ‘shield’ < O.N.F. escuchon < O.F. escusson ‘half-crown (coin); coat of arms, heraldic escutcheon’ < Vulgar Lat. scutionem < Lat. scutum ‘shield’ < skoito- ‘piece of wood, sheath, shield’ < ekjuu < skei- < Tamil kappu