kina

noun

ki·​na ˈkē-nə How to pronounce kina (audio)
plural kina
the basic monetary unit of Papua New Guinea see Money Table

Examples of kina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, the project’s partners paid less than a quarter of that (about 495 million kina) in taxes, royalties, dividends and other payments in 2016. Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2019 Her bilum pieces sometimes address the legacy of colonialism or incorporate kina shells, which represent money. Jenna Sauers, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 July 2019 By September 2017, more than three years after exports started, royalties received by the government totaled 150 million kina, the World Bank said. Perry Williams, Bloomberg.com, 27 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Guinea Pidgin, literally, "gold lip (kind of oyster shell used as currency)," borrowed from Tolai (Austronesian language of the Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain)

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kina was in 1974

Dictionary Entries Near kina

Cite this Entry

“Kina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kina. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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