Dictionary

rupee en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɹuˈpi/ (General-American)
• /ˈɹupi/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• /ɹʊ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɹuːˈpiː/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Coined by Sher Shah Suri, the Sultan of the Suri Empire 1540–1545 as Hindustani रुपीया / رُوپِییَہ (rūpīya), variant of रुपया / رُوپَیَہ (rūpaya, “rupee”), from Sanskrit रूप्यक (rūpyaka, “silver coin”), from रूप्य (rūpya, “wrought gold or silver; stamped coin; beautiful, well-shaped; impressed, stamped”). Doublet of rufiyaa and rupiah.

Meanings

1. Any of the monetary currencies used in modern India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka.
   • In the fifth and sixth [standard] I obtained scholarships of rupees four and ten respectively, an achievement for which I have to thank good luck more than my merit. 1948, Mohandas K[aramchand] Gandhi, “At the High School”, in Mahadev Desai, transl., Gandhi’s Autobiography, or, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press, →OCLC; reprinted as An Autobiography; or The Story of My Experiments with Truth, New York, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 2007, →ISBN, page 12:
   • There are no precise estimates available about the capital requirements of agricultural and rural development in India. But the amount required is in hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees. 1999, Katar Singh, “Financing Rural Development”, in Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management, 2nd edition, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, published 2005, →ISBN, page 290:
   • The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007. Despite these actions, the Seychelles economy has struggled to maintain its gains and in 2008 suffered from food and oil price shocks, a foreign exchange shortage, high inflation, large financing gaps, and the global recession. 2013, “Strategic and Development Profiles”, in Seychelles Business Law Handbook, volumes 1 (Strategic Information and Basic Laws), Washington, D.C.: International Business Publications, →ISBN, page 15:
   • Sadhana and Sanjeev Prasad, who live in Haridwar, a city in northern Uttarakhand state, filed a petition this month seeking 50 million Indian rupees (about $643,000) in damages from their son, 35, and his wife, 31. 2022 May 17, Esha Mitra and Jessie Yeung, “Indian couple sue only son for not giving them grandchildren”, in CNN:
   • In fact, the visible appearance of the iron is a symbol; it is not what it ultimately is. To take an analogy we are given a ten-rupee note. He knows it truly who at sight recognizes the piece of paper as a symbol of unity that represents ten separate silver coins. 1937, Rabindranath Tagore, “Lecture II: Supreme Man”, in Man: Lectures Delivered at the Andhra University under the Terms of the Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Endowment (Andhra University Series; no. 16), Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh: Kitabistan, published 1946, →OCLC, pages 37–38:
2. (historical) A silver coin circulating in India between the 16th and 20th centuries, weighing one tola (formerly 170–180 troy grains; from 1833, 180 troy grains).
   • The roupie, as the French write it, roupee, or rupee, as it is ſpelt in our authors, is a ſilver coin, ſomething broader than one of our ſhillings, and much thicker; in point of fineneſs, it is better than the Engliſh ſtandard; for its weight is 7 dwt. 11 gr. which, reduced to our ſtandard, would be 7 dwt. 13 mt. ²⁄₂²⁄₆¹⁄₆³⁄₄. 1759, George Sale et al., “Sect. IX. An Historical Account of the French Commerce at Mocha, Bassora, Surat, on the Coast of Malabar and Coromandel; […]”, in The Modern Part of An Universal History, from the Earliest Account of Time. Compiled from Original Writers, volume XI, London: Printed for S[amuel] Richardson [et al.], →OCLC, footnote H, page 181:
   • The only Evidence that was produced by the [East India] Company, was, a letter from Samuel Annesley, at Surrat, dated the 16th January 1694; wherein he gives this Account: Rupees. 655,000. Sent home as Cargo in the Ships Defence and Resolution. 1695 March 17, “East India Stock and Debts [marginal note]”, in Journals of the House of Commons. From November the 7th 1693, in the Fifth Year of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, to November the 3rd 1697, in the Ninth Year of the Reign of King William the Third, London: Re-printed by Order of the House of Commons, published 1803, →OCLC, page 519, column 2:
   • How much do you pay for a wife? Nine rupees and a half. / Why don't you give ten? It is not our custom. / Do you ever pay a smaller sum for a wife than nine rupees and a half? Sometimes, we conclude the bargain for eight rupees. 1841 April 17, John Wilson, “Art. III.—Account of the Wáralís and Kátodís,—Two of the Forest Tribes of the Northern Konkan”, in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, volume VII, London: John W[illiam] Parker, West Strand, →OCLC, page 19:
3. The primary currency of Hyrule.

Forms

Coordinates

pie (1 (historical Bengali coin) · paisa (1 (modern Indian, Nepali, & Pakistani currencies) · cash (1 (historical Travancore coin) · double mohur (historical Bengali coin) · 448 rupee) (historical Travancore coin) · 64 rupee) (historical Bengali coin) · 100 rupee) (modern Indian, Nepali, & Pakistani currencies) · 16 rupee) (historical Bengali coin) · 7 rupee) (historical Travancore coin) · paisa (1 (historical Bengali coin) · fanam (1 (historical Travancore coin) · 28 rupee) (historical Travancore coin) · mohur (historical Bengali coin) · 192 rupee) (historical Bengali coin) · anna (1 (historical Bengali coin) · chakram (1 (historical Travancore coin)

Deriveds

digital rupee · sicca rupee · annas in the rupee · Gulf rupee · Cocos rupee

Relateds

𞱱 (Alternate rupee symbols) · ૱ (Alternate rupee symbols) · ௹ (Alternate rupee symbols)

Translations (81)

ru ру́пия (monetary currency) · be ру́пія (monetary currency) · el ρουπία (monetary currency) · sh rupija (monetary currency) · ta உரூபாய் (monetary currency) · te రూపాయలు (monetary currency) · io rupie (monetary currency) · fi rupia (monetary currency) · sh рупија (monetary currency) · nb rupi (monetary currency) · ne रुपैया (monetary currency) · ug رۇپىيە (monetary currency) · pa ਰੁਪਈਆ (monetary currency) · arz روبيه (monetary currency) · mg ropia (monetary currency) · id rupee (monetary currency) · nn rupi (monetary currency) · ar رُوبِيَّة (monetary currency) · bn টাকা (monetary currency) · fa روپیه (monetary currency) · pnb روپیہ (monetary currency) · ast rupia (monetary currency) · ca rúpia (monetary currency) · sa रूप्य (monetary currency) · mr रुपया (monetary currency) · ur روپیے (monetary currency) · ro rupie (monetary currency) · bg ру́пия (monetary currency) · sw rupia (monetary currency) · my ရူပီး (monetary currency) · hi रूपया (monetary currency) · hi रूप्य (monetary currency) · ps روپۍ (monetary currency) · mfe roupi (monetary currency) · tr rupi (monetary currency) · it rupia (monetary currency) · cs rupie (monetary currency) · bn রুপিয়া (monetary currency) · mk рупија (monetary currency) · he רופי (monetary currency) · th รูปี (monetary currency) · mi rupī (monetary currency) · ur روپیہ (monetary currency) · hu rúpia (monetary currency) · nl roepie (monetary currency) · ms rupee (monetary currency) · ml രൂപ (monetary currency) · hi रुपया (monetary currency) · pt rupia (monetary currency) · hi टका (monetary currency) · kn ರೂಪಾಯಿ (monetary currency) · fr roupie (monetary currency) · gu રૂપિયો (monetary currency) · et ruupia (monetary currency) · lt rupija (monetary currency) · cmn 盧比 /卢比 (monetary currency) · si රුපියල (monetary currency) · ta ரூபாய் (monetary currency) · as টকা (monetary currency) · ga rúipí (monetary currency) · eo rupio (monetary currency) · ko 루피 (monetary currency) · hi रूप्यक (monetary currency) · dv ރުފިޔާ (monetary currency) · hi रुपीया (monetary currency) · sk rupia (monetary currency) · ja ルピー (monetary currency) · hy ռուփի (monetary currency) · hi रुपैया (monetary currency) · pl rupia (monetary currency) · tl rupya (monetary currency) · nv róópii (monetary currency) · gl rupia (monetary currency) · de Rupie (monetary currency) · as ৰুপী (monetary currency) · uk ру́пія (monetary currency) · sa रूप्यक (monetary currency) · ur روپے (monetary currency) · sa रूप्यकम् (monetary currency) · sl rupija (monetary currency) · es rupia (monetary currency)

wikidata: Q178843 · wikipedia: Sher Shah Suri