Tenge

Tenge is the monetary unit of Kazakhstan. It is divided in 100 tiyin and was introduced in November 1993 to replace the Russian ruble.

The name of the currency comes from the денгы, the Russian word for money.

The truth is the other way around. The word Tenge in Kazakh and most other Turkic languages means balance, scales. The origin of the word is Chinese Tengse which means balance. Turkic languages borrowed this word through Mongolian Tenkh(e). The logic of calling the currency this way is very similar to Lira (Latin Libra), Pound, and Peso. The Russian word "Dengi" is derived from the Turkic word "Tenge".