*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of paisa

From Hindi पैसा (paisā) / Urdu پَیسَہ (paisa), from Sauraseni Prakrit *𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲 (*payaṃsa), presumably from unattested Sanskrit *पदांश (*padāṃśa), from पद (pada, “quarter”) + अंश (aṃśa, “part, piece”) in reference its hi

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Indian, Nepalese, or Pakistani rupee. · A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Bangladeshi taka. · A subdivision of currency, equal to one thousandth of an Omani rial. · A subdivision of various former currencies of India.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Hindi पैसा (paisā) / Urdu پَیسَہ (paisa), from Sauraseni Prakrit *𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲 (*payaṃsa), presumably from unattested Sanskrit *पदांश (*padāṃśa), from पद (pada, “quarter”) + अंश (aṃśa, “part, piece”) in reference its historical value of ¹⁄₄ anna.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "पैसा"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi पैसा (paisā)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "پَیسَہ"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu پَیسَہ (paisa)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pra-sau",
        "3": "*𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲"
      },
      "expansion": "Sauraseni Prakrit *𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲 (*payaṃsa)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "*पदांश"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit *पदांश (*padāṃśa)"
    },
    {
      "name": "frac",
      "args": {
        "1": "4"
      },
      "expansion": "¹⁄₄"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "पैसा",
      "पैसा#Hindi"
    ],
    [
      "پَیسَہ",
      "پیسہ#Urdu"
    ],
    [
      "*𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲",
      "Reconstruction:Prakrit/𑀧𑀬𑀁𑀲"
    ],
    [
      "*पदांश",
      "Reconstruction:Sanskrit/पदांश"
    ],
    [
      "पद",
      "पद#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "quarter",
      "quarter"
    ],
    [
      "अंश",
      "अंश#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "part",
      "part"
    ],
    [
      "piece",
      "piece"
    ],
    [
      "anna",
      "anna"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Indian, Nepalese, or Pakistani rupee.",
        "A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Bangladeshi taka.",
        "A subdivision of currency, equal to one thousandth of an Omani rial.",
        "A subdivision of various former currencies of India."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ],
      "recordId": "75912ad52890eb0fe914ee23884ceeef1ecbf4f928d2afcb5a92d47cd40f560c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5e1adaca3f4db137c1135645393f89ce60101805db57b91e3bfbe9f52ba19c0c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1045945
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A person hailing from the same country; in particular, a fellow Latino. · A Latino who is not a gangster nor gang-affiliated.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Spanish paisa, a shortening of paisano.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionpaisaes
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "es",
        "3": "paisa"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish paisa"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "paisa",
      "paisa#Spanish"
    ],
    [
      "paisano",
      "paisano#Spanish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A person hailing from the same country; in particular, a fellow Latino.",
        "A Latino who is not a gangster nor gang-affiliated."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "ac11b5d87646d48053fba6b021813859594c2c22c06fffa2155001ee8c2e9742",
      "rawRecordSha256": "100391797548d68d9770d8d4653a1f295ad8e724bec7e2b9fe119053f5c3037a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1045946
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for paisa →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cGFpc2E