Where does “yen” come from?

Yen comes from Japanese 円, which derives from Chinese 圓, originally meaning "round" or "circular."

yen (English): The unit of Japanese currency since 1871,...

Definitions

  1. The unit of Japanese currency since 1871,...

Ancestry of “yen”, step by step

yen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 円

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese円a round or circular object; a circle; roundness;...
2Chinese圓circular, round; yuan, yen, dollar; round

via Cantonese 癮

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cantonese癮craving

Words derived from “yen”

Every word from Chinese 圓 →Every word from Japanese 円 →