pice
UK[paɪs]US[paɪs]
n
A former monetary unit and coin of India and Pakistan, equal to one quarter of an anna.
Etymology
The word 'pice' entered English in the early 17th century from the Marathi word 'paisā', which itself derived from the Sanskrit 'padāṁśa', meaning 'a quarter part'. This etymology directly reflects the coin's function as a fractional unit of currency. The term was adopted during the period of British colonial administration in India to denote a specific low-value coin. Its journey from a Sanskrit term for a division into the name of a concrete coin illustrates the common pathway for monetary terms borrowed through trade and governance.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable morphemes within the modern English spelling.
Examples
In historical accounts, a single pice could buy a handful of sweets.
The old merchant carefully counted out four pice to make one anna.
Collectors of colonial currency often seek the copper pice minted in Bombay.