Zeni
/ˈzɛn.i/noun
A Japanese coin or money, especially in historical or numismatic contexts.
Did you know?Zeni and the Japanese monetary unit sen are written with the same character, 銭, linking them to related money terms in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
錢 (*dzˤen)
“A monetary term associated with a coin or money.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
錢 (dzjen)
“Coin or money; the source of related East Asian monetary words.”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
銭 (zeni)
“Money, cash, or a coin.”
19th Century
English
zeni
“An English loanword for Japanese money or a Japanese coin.”
Modern English
English
zeni
“A historical or numismatic term referring to Japanese currency or coins.”