shroff

Where does the word "shroff" come from? It comes from Arabic sarraf, passing through Persian and Gujarati before entering English (early 1600s).

Shroff’s story begins in Arabic: sarraf meant “money changer, banker.” Named a money changer, banker, or coin assayer in the medieval Islamic world. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Persian as sarraf. Arabic 'sarrāf', money changer. From there it passed into Gujarati as sharaf by 1500s. Spread into Mughal-era Indian commerce as coin testing and exchange became specialized trades. It reached English by early 1600s as shroff. Hong Kong banks employed Chinese shroffs to test silver coins. Today, shroff means (in South and East Asia) a banker or expert money changer who verifies the authenticity of coins and currency.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval sarraf "money changer, banker", named a money changer, banker, or coin assayer in the medieval Islamic world.
2. Stage 2 · Persian · medieval sarraf "money changer", Arabic 'sarrāf', money changer.
3. Stage 3 · Gujarati · 1500s sharaf "banker, coin tester", spread into Mughal-era Indian commerce as coin testing and exchange became specialized trades.
4. Stage 4 · English · early 1600s shroff "banker, money changer", Hong Kong banks employed Chinese shroffs to test silver coins.