hundi

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.31 in modern English

Syllables: hun-di
IPA

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of hawala (“informal system of money transfer from India and the Middle East”).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A collection box used in Indian temples to collect cash offerings from devotees.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) runs one of India's most elaborate donation-management systems. With hundi offerings of Rs 1,738 crore in 2025-26—about Rs 4.75 crore a day—the temple has to replace 12-18 cash receptacles daily. The sealed hundis are moved under tight security to the Parakamani counting centre, where CCTVs monitor their opening in the presence of senior officials and vigilance staff. Cash is counted by machine, monitored in real time and deposited alternately with SBI and Union Bank. Jewels are valued by appraisers, sealed and sent to the treasury. Everyone is searched while exiting; TTD is now expanding automation to reduce manual handling."

Etymology

Etymology tree Iranianbor. Sanskrit हुण्डिका (huṇḍikā) Hindi हुंडी (huṇḍī)bor. ▲ Sanskrit हुण्डिका (huṇḍikā) Urdu ہُنڈِی (hunḍī)bor. ▲ Sanskrit हुण्डिका (huṇḍikā) Gujarati હૂંડી (hū̃ḍī)bor. Kachchi હૂંડી (hū̃ḍī)bor. English hundi Borrowed from Gujarati and Kachchi હૂંડી (huṇḍī), and Hindustani (Hindi हुंडी (huṇḍī) / Urdu ہُنْڈی (huṇḍī)), ultimately derived from Sanskrit हुण्डिका (huṇḍikā).

Origin

Source language: Hindi

Word Breakdown

Root: हुंडी, ہُنْڈی, हुण्डिका

Usage

Inflected Forms

hundis (plural) hundies (plural) hundee (alternative)

Synonyms

hawala