cowrie
UK[ˈkaʊri]US[ˈkaʊri]
n
a small, brightly colored sea snail with a glossy, often patterned shell.
n
the shell of this animal, historically used as money in some parts of africa and asia.
Etymology
the word 'cowrie' entered english in the 17th century, borrowed from hindi 'kaurī'. this, in turn, traces back to sanskrit 'kaparda', which referred to a small shell. the journey of the word follows the trade routes of the shells themselves, which were used as currency across the indian ocean and beyond. the term is a prime example of a loanword where the name of a specific object traveled with the object, its form adapting through languages like prakrit and hindi before settling into english. its meaning has remained remarkably stable, always denoting the distinctive shell of the marine gastropod.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
she collected a handful of spotted cowries from the white sand.
in ancient times, cowrie shells were a widely accepted form of currency.
the necklace was intricately woven with beads and cowrie shells.