Rupias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form of currency primarily used in several countries, including India and Indonesia, which signifies a medium of exchange in financial transactions
2. Representing monetary units that can be exchanged for goods and services, often subject to fluctuations in value
3. Denoting a specific denomination of money that facilitates trade and economic activities within its respective region

Etymology: "Rupias" is simply the plural of "rupia," the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Hindi-Urdu "rupiya," which names a silver coin. The Spanish form does not come from a South Asian root at all, though. Its ultimate source is the Ancient Greek word "rhupía," meaning "filthiness" or "dirtiness," from "rhúpos," meaning "filth." The link between dirt and money is the kind of twist that makes the history worth tracing. The connection runs through the Greek idea of dirt as something worthless or low. Greek "rhupía" was used for things of little value, and the word came to be applied to a sort of poor-quality coin. Through this path, the name ended up attached to a currency with no real relation to the original sense of filth. The plural "rupias" is the form used in Spanish, where it refers to more than one such unit of currency.

Synonyms: rupees, currency, money, coins, cash