Lakh
/læk/noun
A South Asian unit of numbering equal to 100,000.
Did you know?The related word “lac” names both the number 100,000 in South Asian usage and the resin produced by scale insects, while “lacquer” ultimately comes from that resin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Iranian
PII
*lakšá-
“A reconstructed term associated with a hundred thousand”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
lakṣa
“One hundred thousand; also a mark, sign, or distinguishing feature in other contexts”
Medieval Sanskrit
Sanskrit
lakṣā
“Lac resin, a substance produced by scale insects; this form is related to the South Asian resin term”
Medieval Hindi
Hindi
lākh
“One hundred thousand”
17th Century
English
lakh
“The South Asian numerical unit of 100,000”
Modern English
English
lakh
“A unit equal to 100,000, especially in references to South Asian currencies, populations, or statistics”