Lakh

/læk/ noun

Definition

A unit of number equal to 100,000, used in India, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries.

Etymology

From Sanskrit 'laksha,' meaning 100,000. The word entered English through trade with India and remains in use in South Asian contexts.

Kelly Says

India's numbering system with lakhs and crores (10 million) is so different from Western thousands and millions that early software bugs occurred because programmers forgot to account for these groupings.

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