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Glite Dictionary
Mauritian rupee

Mauritian rupee

4.1
The money used in Mauritius that is equal to 100 cents
  • noun
translation icon : rupia mauriciana
  • The price of the meal was 500 Mauritian rupees.

Examples

  • Tourists often exchange their dollars for Mauritian rupees upon arrival on the island.

  • The price of the souvenir was clearly marked in Mauritian rupees rather than in euros or dollars.

  • Over the past year, the Mauritian rupee has remained relatively stable against the US dollar.

  • I exchanged my dollars for Mauritian rupees.

  • Over the past year, the Mauritian rupee has remained relatively stable against the US dollar.

  • Tourists often exchange their dollars for Mauritian rupees upon arrival on the island.

  • The price of the souvenir was clearly marked in Mauritian rupees rather than in euros or dollars.

Surface Forms

Mauritian rupee singular
Mauritian rupees plural

Morphology

Mauritian + rupee

The meaning 'the official currency of Mauritius' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'Mauritian' (relating to Mauritius) with 'rupee' (a unit of currency), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is the rupee used in Mauritius. This demonym + currency pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward compositional semantics, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Mauritian rupee takes its name from the old Indian coin rupee. Long ago, people and ships from India brought that silver coin to Mauritius, so the island kept the name for its 'currency' and that is why Mauritian rupee means the island's official money today.