Paisa
Encyclopedia
The paisa is a monetary unit in several countries. Linguistic variants of paisa include poisha ' onMouseout='HidePop("95135")' href="/topics/Bangladesh">Bangladesh
) and baisa
' onMouseout='HidePop("44507")' href="/topics/Oman">Oman
). In India
, Nepal
and Pakistan
, the paisa currently equals of a rupee
. In Bangladesh, the poisha equals of a Bangladeshi taka
. In Oman, the baisa equals of an Omani rial
.
The word paisa is actually a borrowing from the Persian language
.
Until the 1950s in India and Pakistan (and before 1947 in British India), the paisa was equivalent to 3 pies, ¼ of an anna, or of a rupee. After the transition from a non-decimal currency to a decimal currency, the paisa was known as a naya paisa ("new paisa") for a few years.
, Afghan Persian, and other languages, the word paisa often means money or cash. Medieval-era trade routes that spanned the Arabian Sea between India, the Arab regions and East Africa spread the usage of Indian and Arabic currency terms across these areas. The word pesa as a reference to money in East African languages such as Swahili
dates from that period. An example of this usage is the modern day Kenya
n mobile-phone based money transfer service M-Pesa
(which stands for mobile pesa or mobile money).
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) and baisa
Omani rial
The rial is the currency of Oman. It is divided into 1000 baisa .-History:Before 1940, the Indian rupee and the Maria Theresa Thaler were the main currencies circulating in Muscat and Oman, as the state was then known, with rupees circulating on the coast and Thaler in the interior...
' onMouseout='HidePop("44507")' href="/topics/Oman">Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
). In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the paisa currently equals of a rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
. In Bangladesh, the poisha equals of a Bangladeshi taka
Bangladeshi taka
The Taka is the currency of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country controls the issuance of the currency except one taka and two taka notes, which are the responsibility of Ministry of Finance of the government of Bangladesh...
. In Oman, the baisa equals of an Omani rial
Omani rial
The rial is the currency of Oman. It is divided into 1000 baisa .-History:Before 1940, the Indian rupee and the Maria Theresa Thaler were the main currencies circulating in Muscat and Oman, as the state was then known, with rupees circulating on the coast and Thaler in the interior...
.
The word paisa is actually a borrowing from the Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
Until the 1950s in India and Pakistan (and before 1947 in British India), the paisa was equivalent to 3 pies, ¼ of an anna, or of a rupee. After the transition from a non-decimal currency to a decimal currency, the paisa was known as a naya paisa ("new paisa") for a few years.
General usage of the term
In HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Afghan Persian, and other languages, the word paisa often means money or cash. Medieval-era trade routes that spanned the Arabian Sea between India, the Arab regions and East Africa spread the usage of Indian and Arabic currency terms across these areas. The word pesa as a reference to money in East African languages such as Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
dates from that period. An example of this usage is the modern day Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n mobile-phone based money transfer service M-Pesa
M-Pesa
M-PESA is the product name of a mobile-phone based money transfer service for Safaricom, which is a Vodafone affiliate. It was initially developed by Sagentia before transitioning to IBM...
(which stands for mobile pesa or mobile money).