Rupee
/ˈruː.piː/noun
The standard monetary unit of India and several other South Asian countries.
Did you know?The modern rupee was famously standardized as a silver coin under the 16th-century Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, weighing about 178 grains of silver.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rūpa
“Form, shape, appearance, or beauty”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rūpya
“Wrought, fashioned, or worked silver; something stamped or shaped”
16th Century
Hindustani
rupiyā
“A silver coin and unit of currency, especially in the monetary system associated with Sher Shah Suri”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
roupia
“A South Asian monetary unit encountered through trade and colonial administration”
17th Century
English
rupee
“The South Asian silver coin or monetary unit”
Modern English
English
rupee
“The currency unit used in India and several other countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius”