Lakh
A lakh (/læk, lɑːk/; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac[1]) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105).[1][2] In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000.[3] For example, in India, 150,000 rupees becomes 1.5 lakh rupees, written as ₹1,50,000 or INR 1,50,000.
It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is often used in Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan English.
Usage
[edit | edit source]In Indian English, the word is used both as an attributive and non-attributive noun with either an unmarked or marked ("-s") plural, respectively. For example: "1 lakh people"; "lakhs of people"; "20 lakh rupees"; "lakhs of rupees". In the abbreviated form, usage such as "₹5L" or "₹5 lac" (for "5 lakh rupees") is common.[4] In this system of numeration, 100 lakh is called one crore[3] and is equal to 10 million.
Formal written publications in English in India tend to use lakh and crore for Indian currency and Western numbering for foreign currencies, such as dollars and pounds.[5]
Silver market
[edit | edit source]The term is also used in the pricing of silver on the international precious metals market, where one lakh equals 100,000 troy ounces (3,110 kilograms) of silver.[6][7]
Etymology and regional variants
[edit | edit source]The modern word lakh derives from Sanskrit: लक्ष, romanized: lakṣa, originally denoting "mark, target, stake in gambling", but also used as the numeral for "100,000" in Gupta-era Classical Sanskrit (Yājñavalkya Smṛti, Harivaṃśa).[8]
- By language
- Assamese: লক্ষ lokhyo, or লাখ lakh
- Bengali: natively (tadbhava) known as লাখ lākh, though some use the ardha-tatsama লক্ষ lokkho.
- Bhojpuri: 𑂪𑂰𑂎 lākh
- Hindustani: (Hindi: लाख, Urdu: لاکھ) lākh
- Dhivehi: ލައްކަ lakka
- Gujarati: લાખ lākh
- Kannada: ಲಕ್ಷ lakṣha
- Kashmiri: لَچھ lachh
- Khasi: lak
- Malayalam: ലക്ഷം laksham
- Marathi: लाख/लक्ष lākh/laksha
- Meitei: ꯂꯥꯛ lāk
- Nepali: लाख lākh
- Odia: ଲକ୍ଷ låkhyå
- Punjabi: (Shahmukhi: لکھ, Gurmukhi: ਲੱਖ) lakkh
- Sanskrit: लक्ष lakṣa
- Sinhala: ලක්ෂ lakṣa
- Tamil: இலட்சம் latcham
- Telugu: లక్ష laksha
See also
[edit | edit source]- Crore (100 lakh, or 10 million)
- English numerals
- Myriad
- Names of large numbers
References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). – Shapiro is/was an OED employee. The article states: "The opinions and other information contained in the OED blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press."
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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External links
[edit | edit source]
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