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/
• (Egypt) IPA^(key): /ɡi.neːh/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

جُنَيْه • (junayh) m (plural جُنَيْهَات (junayhāt))

1. 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; however, the Lebanese pound and Syrian pound are called لِيرَة (līra, “lira”) in Arabic.

Declension

Declension of noun جُنَيْه (junayh)

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

Etymology

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): /ɡiˈneːh/

Noun

جنيه • (ginēh) m (plural جنيهات (ginehāt))

1. one pound, the official currency of Egypt.
   • 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