cowrie

Where does the word "cowrie" come from? It comes from Sanskrit kaparda, passing through Marathi and Hindi before entering English (1660s).

Cowrie’s story begins in Sanskrit: kaparda meant “a small sea shell.” Named the small shell used as ornament and currency. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Marathi as kavadi. The word passed into western Indian vernacular. From there it passed into Hindi as kauri by medieval. Became the everyday North Indian term for the shell-money. It reached English by 1660s as cowrie. British traders adopted the word for the shells used across Asian and African trade networks. Today, cowrie means a small, glossy sea shell historically used as currency and jewelry across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient kaparda "a small sea shell", named the small shell used as ornament and currency.
2. Stage 2 · Marathi · medieval kavadi "cowrie shell", the word passed into western Indian vernacular.
3. Stage 3 · Hindi · medieval kauri "shell used as currency", became the everyday North Indian term for the shell-money.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1660s cowrie "a small glossy shell once used as currency", British traders adopted the word for the shells used across Asian and African trade networks.