[An-lang] Malagasy 'ariary'

[Jim Rader]

Does anyone on the list know the origin of Malagasy <ariary>, "five-
franc note"?  Does it have some literal meaning?  Recently this word
replaced "franc" as the official name of the currency in
international use, though it's long been written on the banknotes,
and been used in market language (as far as I can tell).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards,Jim Rader
Etymology Editor
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal St., P.O. Box 281
Springfield MA 01102
http://www.merriamwebster.com

_______________________________________________
An-lang mailing list
An-lang at anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/an-lang