tenge

Where does the word "tenge" come from? It comes from Chagatai Turkic teñge, passing through Russian and Kazakh before entering English (1990s).

Tenge’s story begins in Chagatai Turkic: teñge meant “silver coin.” A silver coin of the Golden Horde and the Central Asian khanates. By 1300s-1400s, the word had taken hold in Russian as denga. Muscovite princes took the Horde's coin name; Russian 'dengi', money, still comes from it. From there it passed into Kazakh as teñge by 1993. Revived as the name of independent Kazakhstan's currency in November 1993. It reached English by 1990s as tenge. Entered English with reporting on post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Today, tenge means the currency of Kazakhstan.

1. Stage 1 · Chagatai Turkic · medieval teñge "silver coin", a silver coin of the Golden Horde and the Central Asian khanates.
2. Stage 2 · Russian · 1300s-1400s denga "small coin", Muscovite princes took the Horde's coin name; Russian 'dengi', money, still comes from it.
3. Stage 3 · Kazakh · 1993 teñge "Kazakh currency", revived as the name of independent Kazakhstan's currency in November 1993.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1990s tenge "Kazakh currency", entered English with reporting on post-Soviet Kazakhstan.