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yen²

(yĕn)

n. pl. yen

See Table at currency.

[Japanese en (romanized as yen in the first European systems for romanizing Japanese, reflecting Japanese pronunciation of the 16th century), from Middle Chinese yan, round (in reference to the shape of the coin); also the source of Mandarin yuán, round; see YUAN.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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