Etymology Map
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Tenge

4 stages from Chagatai Turkic to English.

Today it means the currency of Kazakhstan

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

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

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.