Cowry
/ˈkaʊ.ri/noun
A glossy marine shell, especially one used historically as currency or ornament.
Did you know?Cowries were used as currency across Africa, Asia, and the Indian Ocean world, so this little shell carried real economic power long before coins dominated trade.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
cowry
“A shell used as money or ornament, especially the glossy shell of the genus Cypraea.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
búzio-cavalo / cauri
“Borrowed shell-name used for the same trade shell in colonial and maritime contexts.”
Medieval Hindi/Urdu
Indo-Aryan
kaurī
“A cowry shell used as small currency.”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
kaurī
“A small shell used as money.”
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kaparda
“A shell, especially a cowry; also a curled lock of hair or tuft.”