Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates
A lakh (Template:IPAc-en; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac<ref name="Rowlett_2008">Template:Cite dictionary</ref>) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105).<ref name="Rowlett_2008"/><ref name="OED1">Template:OED1</ref> In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000.<ref name=EB1911>Template:Cite EB1911</ref> For example, in India, 150,000 rupees becomes 1.5 lakh rupees, written as Template:INR1,50,000 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.
UsageEdit
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 "Template:INR5L" or "Template:INR5 lac" (for "5 lakh rupees") is common.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In this system of numeration, 100 lakh is called one crore<ref name=EB1911/> and is equal to 10 million.
Formal written publications in English in India tend to use lakh/crore for Indian currency and Western numbering for foreign currencies, such as dollars and pounds.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} – 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."</ref>
Silver marketEdit
The term is also used in the pricing of silver on the international precious metals market, where one lakh equals Template:Convert of silver.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Etymology and regional variantsEdit
The modern word lakh derives from Template:Langx, originally denoting "mark, target, stake in gambling", but also used as the numeral for "100,000" in Gupta-era Classical Sanskrit (Yājñavalkya Smṛti, Harivaṃśa).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- By language
- Assamese: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lokhyo, or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lakh
- Bengali: natively (tadbhava) known as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh, though some use the ardha-tatsama {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lokkho.
- Bhojpuri: 𑂪𑂰𑂎 lākh
- Hindi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh
- Dhivehi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lakka
- Gujarati: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh
- Kannada: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lakṣha
- Kashmiri: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lachh
- Khasi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
- Malayalam: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} laksham
- Marathi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh/laksha
- Meitei: ꯂꯥꯛ lāk
- Nepali: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh
- Odia: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} låkhyå
- Punjabi: (Shahmukhi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Gurmukhi: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) lakkh
- Sinhala: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Template:Transliteration
- Tamil: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} latcham
- Telugu: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} laksha
- Urdu: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} lākh
See alsoEdit
- Crore (100 lakh, or 10 million)
- English numerals
- Myriad
- Names of large numbers
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}