جنيه
See also: جنية
Arabic
Etymology
19th century, from Egyptian Arabic جنيه (ginēh), classicized after the diminutive measure فُعَيْل (fuʕayl). The Egyptian word is from English guinea; historically, a guinea was worth one pound and one shilling. In view of the (former) importance of French learning in Egypt, the final stress may follow French guinée, itself from the English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d͡ʒu.najh/
Noun
جُنَيْه • (junayh) m (plural جُنَيْهَات (junayhāt))
- pound (unit of currency)
- 1956, w:Naguib Mahfouz, chapter 36, in بين القصرين:
- فَتًى فِي الْخَامِسَةِ وَالْعِشْرِينَ، ذُو دَخْلٍ شَهْرِيٍّ لَا يَقِلُّ عَنْ الثَّلَاثِينَ جُنَيْهًا
- fatan fī l-ḵāmisati wālʕišrīna, ḏū daḵlin šahriyyin lā yaqillu ʕan aṯ-ṯalāṯīna junayhan
- A young man of twenty-five years, with a monthly income of not less than thirty pounds.
Usage notes
- Most currencies called pound in English are known as جنيه in Arabic, including the pound sterling and the Egyptian pound, the Sudanese pound and the South Sudanese pound; however, the Lebanese pound and Syrian pound are called لِيرَة (līra, “lira”) in Arabic.
Declension
| singular | basic singular triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | construct | |
| informal | جُنَيْه junayh |
الْجُنَيْه al-junayh |
جُنَيْه junayh |
| nominative | جُنَيْهٌ junayhun |
الْجُنَيْهُ al-junayhu |
جُنَيْهُ junayhu |
| accusative | جُنَيْهًا junayhan |
الْجُنَيْهَ al-junayha |
جُنَيْهَ junayha |
| genitive | جُنَيْهٍ junayhin |
الْجُنَيْهِ al-junayhi |
جُنَيْهِ junayhi |
| dual | indefinite | definite | construct |
| informal | جُنَيْهَيْن junayhayn |
الْجُنَيْهَيْن al-junayhayn |
جُنَيْهَيْ junayhay |
| nominative | جُنَيْهَانِ junayhāni |
الْجُنَيْهَانِ al-junayhāni |
جُنَيْهَا junayhā |
| accusative | جُنَيْهَيْنِ junayhayni |
الْجُنَيْهَيْنِ al-junayhayni |
جُنَيْهَيْ junayhay |
| genitive | جُنَيْهَيْنِ junayhayni |
الْجُنَيْهَيْنِ al-junayhayni |
جُنَيْهَيْ junayhay |
| plural | sound feminine plural | ||
| indefinite | definite | construct | |
| informal | جُنَيْهَات junayhāt |
الْجُنَيْهَات al-junayhāt |
جُنَيْهَات junayhāt |
| nominative | جُنَيْهَاتٌ junayhātun |
الْجُنَيْهَاتُ al-junayhātu |
جُنَيْهَاتُ junayhātu |
| accusative | جُنَيْهَاتٍ junayhātin |
الْجُنَيْهَاتِ al-junayhāti |
جُنَيْهَاتِ junayhāti |
| genitive | جُنَيْهَاتٍ junayhātin |
الْجُنَيْهَاتِ al-junayhāti |
جُنَيْهَاتِ junayhāti |
Egyptian Arabic
Alternative forms
- جني (gini) (Alexandria)
Etymology
Borrowed from English guinea; historically, a guinea was worth one pound and one shilling. In view of the (former) importance of French learning in Egypt, the final stress may follow French guinée, itself from the English.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡi.neːh/, [ɡɪˈneː(h)]
Noun
جنيه • (ginēh) m (plural جنيهات (ginehāt))
- pound (unit of currency)
- 1994, w:Yusuf al-Qa'id, chapter 2, in لبن العصفور[1]:
- كيلوا اللحمة بقشي بعشرة جنيه حتة واحدة.
- A kilo of meat costs ten pounds per piece.
References
- Hinds, Martin, Badawi, El-Said (1986) “جنيه”, in A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic[2], Beirut: Librairie du Liban, page 177