afghani
UK[æfˈɡɑːni]US[æfˈɡɑːni]
n
the basic monetary unit of afghanistan, equal to 100 puls.
Etymology
the term 'afghani' originates from the persian word 'afghān', historically used to denote the pashtun people, combined with the persian adjectival suffix '-ī', meaning 'of or pertaining to'. it entered english in the 20th century specifically to name the currency introduced in afghanistan, directly borrowing the local name for the monetary unit. the word's journey reflects the practice of naming a national currency after the country or its people, similar to 'dinar' or 'rial'. its adoption into english illustrates the direct borrowing of financial terminology from source languages without morphological decomposition.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted directly from dari/pashto (افغانی), the official languages of afghanistan. it is derived from the name "afghan" with the addition of the persian suffix "-i", which denotes belonging or relation.
Examples
the exchange rate is 80 afghanis to the dollar.
he paid for the goods with a few crumpled afghanis.
the new banknote features a portrait of a notable historical figure on the 100 afghani note.