English
wonga
Wonga comes from Romani angar ‘coal’, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hángāras ‘charcoal’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- ‘to burn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁engʷ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁óngʷl̥‘charcoal’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*Hángāras‘charcoal’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*Hángārasreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEअङ्गारáṅgāra‘charcoal, coal’
- Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀅𑀁𑀕𑀸𑀭
- Romanimodernangar‘coal’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009wonga
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁engʷ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁óngʷl̥‘charcoal’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*Hángāras‘charcoal’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*Hángārasreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEअङ्गारáṅgāra‘charcoal, coal’
- Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀅𑀁𑀕𑀸𑀭
- Romanimodernangar‘coal’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009wonga
Earliest quotation: 2009, K. O. Dahl, The Fourth Man: A Thriller: “I don't mean to be difficult, I said to…”
The story
The English term coal was itself used as a slang term for money in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- ‘to burn’
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁óngʷl̥ ‘charcoal’
Today it means
noun Money.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- / wonga