c-note

The term "c-note" is a 20th-century American slang formation. It combines the letter "C," derived from the Latin alphabet, with the word "note," meaning a banknote. The "C" directly references the Roman numeral for one hundred (C), which was stamped on early U.S. gold certificates. The logic is transparent: "C" denotes the value (100), and "note" denotes the form (paper currency). This slang term elegantly encodes the bill's denomination within its very name, following a pattern similar to "five-spot" or "tenner." Its secondary meaning as the musical note C follows a simpler, more literal compounding of the letter name and the word for a musical tone.

Structure: C (letter/number) + note (paper money/musical tone) - C: Latin origin, the third letter of the alphabet, used here to represent the Roman numeral for one hundred. - note: Middle English, from Old French note and Latin nota (a mark, sign, letter). In this compound, it signifies a piece of paper currency or a musical tone.