tanga

noun

1. (historical)Any of various former Asian coins, including: a coin of Portuguese India worth one tenth of a rupee; a gold coin of India issued by various Muslim rulers; a silver coin of India, also issued by Muslim rulers; and a former silver coin of Tibet.

   “The larines are woorth by just value basaruchies 93 and 3 fourth parts, and 4 larines make a seraphine of siluer, which is 5 tangas of good money, and these also haue serafagion of 6, 7, 8, 10, vntil 16, by the 100, for when the ships depart for the North, to say, for Chaul, Diu, Cambaia, or Bassaim, all cary of the same, because it is money more currant then any other.”

   “The first and largest item is, the purchase of a wife, 25 rupees. Culinary and other utensils.--Bedding, 6 rupees; antimony for the lady's eyes, 3 tangas : an iron boiler, 2 rupees; a wooden bowl and spoons, 3 tangas; ....”

   “The prices range from 120 tangas = Rupees 25 to 400 tangas = Rupees 80.”

   “Three-sevenths, or 300,000 tangas (100,000 Kabul rupees) were remitted to the Amir as tribute, whilst the remaining sum, 400,000 tangas (Rs. 133,333), was retained by the wali for his own expenses.”

   “The Samarkand tangas were initially 916 carats, and then rose to 960 carats. Lower-carat tangas were issued in Balkh (875 carats, 916 carats) and in Tashkent. Nevertheless, even the tangas issued under Iskandar Khan are referred to in documentary sources as 'pure'.”

2. A pair of tanga briefs.

name

1. A city and port, the capital of the Tanga Region, Tanzania.