afghani

American  

[af-gan-ee, -gah-nee] / æfˈgæn i, -ˈgɑ ni /

noun

1. a coin and monetary unit of Afghanistan, equal to 100 puls. Agh.

2. Literary. Afghani. Pashto.

3. Sometimes Offensive. Afghani. Afghan.

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Afghani ¹ British  

/ æfˈɡɑːnɪ /

noun

1. Jamal ad-Din al-. 1839–97, Iranian Muslim religious and political reformer; a proponent of Muslim unity, he resisted European interference in Muslim countries

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afghani ² British  

/ æfˈɡɑːnɪ /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Afghanistan, divided into 100 puli

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Usage

Afghan is the proper term for a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan. The use of Afghani in this meaning is considered to be incorrect and is sometimes perceived as offensive. The -i in Afghani is a suffix used in the names of certain peoples in southwest and central Asia: for example, an Israeli lives in Israel; a Pakistani lives in Pakistan. However, the bordering countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan have a history of strained diplomatic relations. Therefore, objection to the use of Afghani (to refer to a person) may be explained by the word’s similarity to Pakistani, and to Paki, a synonymous but highly offensive term.

Etymology

Origin of afghani

First recorded in 1820–30; Afghan ( def. ) + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Example Sentences

The World Bank said last month that the local currency, the afghani, gained value against major currencies.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 13, 2023

His rent has increased by 500 afghani — almost $6 — in the last few months.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2022

About $760 million has come from the international community, according to the Afghan central bank, which says it uses the money to support the local currency, the afghani.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2022

The central bank issued a statement saying that it had held a number of meetings with foreign exchange dealers, representatives of commercial banks and the business sector to halt the fall in the afghani.

From Reuters • Dec. 14, 2021

The local currency, the afghani, has depreciated since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2021