crore

Where does the word "crore" come from? It comes from Sanskrit koti, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Crore’s story begins in Sanskrit: koti meant “ten million.” Ten million, a large round number used in South Asian counting. It reached English by 1600s as crore. From Sanskrit 'koti', the tip; first recorded in 1625 in Samuel Purchas's collection of travel narratives; Indian English uses lakh and crore for large numbers. Today, crore means ten million, a unit commonly used in South Asian counting.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient koti "ten million", ten million, a large round number used in South Asian counting.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s crore "ten million", from Sanskrit 'koti', the tip; first recorded in 1625 in Samuel Purchas's collection of travel narratives; Indian English uses lakh and crore for large numbers.