jāān
jāān is the Marshallese word for money.
The word refers to currency in a general sense.
Meaning: currency (noun)
Did you know?
- In traditional Marshallese culture, wealth was once measured by the possession of woven mats rather than jāān.
- The word jāān is a phonetic adaptation of the English word 'cent'.
- Marshallese culture historically used a system of gift exchange to maintain social bonds, making the pursuit of jāān for personal hoarding socially frowned upon.
Example conversation
Mary and Joseph are shopping at a local market.
- MaryJāān ām eñ̄an n̄an n̄̄an?Do you have money for this?
- JosephKōm̧m̧ān, iakwe, iōkāj māj jān jāān.Sorry, I have no money.
- MaryIakwe, i jān jāān n̄an am.It is okay, I have money for you.
- JosephKajin̄, ē̄jā māj.Thanks, that is very kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jāān, CC BY-SA 4.0.
