APRIL NEWSLETTER Origin of the POUND & OUNCE. At one time, there were 12 ounces to the pound, rather than the 16 ounces we have today. 12 ounces to the pound survived in the troy ounce and troy pound, for weighing precious metals, but by the mid-13th century, there were 16 normal ounces to the standard pound. The abbreviations, lb and oz, also have foreign origins –  “lb” comes from the Roman pound, called libra – also the origin of the French word libre (pound) which in modern French has come to mean half a kilo, or 500g.   “oz” comes from the medieval Italian word - onza, meaning “ounce”. [return to Logistxs main website]