<p>I don't know how good you are at Chinese, 
you can read this Chinese wikipedia page for more information:
<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A7%92_%28%E8%B2%A8%E5%B9%A3%29" rel="nofollow">http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/角_(貨幣)</a></p>

<p>"毛" is simplified from "毫", which means little amount.
In Chinese we have a saying as "一分一毫", which means very little amount.
In most part of China, "毛" and "角" are interchangeable.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T12:36:18.257Z
2014-06-17T15:19:53.927Z
2014-06-17T15:19:53.927Z
MeloS
<p>角 came from 銀角, which was historically a currency that represented a fraction of the silver coin (銀元). 元 came from 圓, a description of the coin's circular shape. A theory for 角's use is that since the basic meaning of 角 is a horn; by extension it came to be used to describe "things that looks like horns". And from there, "corners" 角落, "angles" 角度, etc. Dividing a circle up like pizza slices creates a "角"; hence, the divisions of one 元 (圓) came to be called a 角.</p>

<p>As Carmelos said, 毛 came from a simplification of 毫 - it is the bottom radical of the latter. 毫 in turn comes from one of the traditional Chinese unit for small numbers: 分 厘 毫 絲, corresponding to the modern 10<sup>-3</sup> (it is still used for millimetres, 毫米/公厘). A theory is that 毛钱 was a type of coinage in the Song dynasty that had very small values, as its name suggests. The term persisted in that meaning of a "small denomination coin", and thus became synonymous with the modern small 角 coins.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T17:01:09.530Z
I thought it might be relevant to note that in Cantonese, 毫 is still used as the colloquial term for 10 cents.
Claw
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:44:22.000Z
@Claw However, in Mandarin Chinese, 1 元 = 10 角 = 100 分 = 1000 厘 = 10000 毫
Victor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T14:57:58.637Z
2014-06-17T20:15:28.130Z
2014-06-17T20:15:28.130Z
Semaphore
<p>from: <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/5400/list-of-historical-chinese-currency-terms/5404#5404">List of historical Chinese currency terms</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>角 (litterally a corner / a horn of an animal) = 毛 (litterally "a feather of a bird") = 1/10 the main unit. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Why use 角 and 毛 for, <em>what we might call in American English</em>, 10-cents?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T11:02:46.377Z
Are you asking about the evolution of the word or how 1/10th of a dollar represents 10 cents.
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T11:16:55.580Z
I'm asking why 角字 and 毛字 are used to represent 1/10th of a 元.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-17T13:30:25.290Z
I've never used 角 in oral communication. It's always 毛.
角 is usually used in written though. both 角and 毛 mean 10 cents
Ike
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-18T02:21:24.587Z
That's not true. I always use 角. Both are correct, and that isn't what the question is asking for.
ʇolɐǝz ǝɥʇ qoq
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-18T23:41:23.583Z
You've generalised an individual preference into a language-wide feature. This is simply a bad linguistic practice. In addition, you didn't really answer the question.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-21T11:33:33.263Z
说的也对, 但是为啥这么多 downvote ?
wener
<etymology><expressions>
角/毛 (10 cents) for money: why?
# 角/毛 (10 cents) for money: why?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-17)

from: [List of historical Chinese currency terms](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/5400/list-of-historical-chinese-currency-terms/5404#5404)

> 角 (litterally a corner / a horn of an animal) = 毛 (litterally "a feather of a bird") = 1/10 the main unit.

Why use 角 and 毛 for, *what we might call in American English*, 10-cents?

**Tags:** etymology, expressions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you asking about the evolution of the word or how 1/10th of a dollar represents 10 cents.  
> **username_0**: I'm asking why 角字 and 毛字 are used to represent 1/10th of a 元.  
> **username_2**: I've never used 角 in oral communication. It's always 毛. 角 is usually used in written though. both 角and 毛 mean 10 cents  
> **username_3**: That's not true. I always use 角. Both are correct, and that isn't what the question is asking for.  
> **username_4**: You've generalised an individual preference into a language-wide feature. This is simply a bad linguistic practice. In addition, you didn't really answer the question.  
> **username_5**: 说的也对, 但是为啥这么多 downvote ?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-06-17. Score: 13 | Accepted answer

角 came from 銀角, which was historically a currency that represented a fraction of the silver coin (銀元). 元 came from 圓, a description of the coin's circular shape. A theory for 角's use is that since the basic meaning of 角 is a horn; by extension it came to be used to describe "things that looks like horns". And from there, "corners" 角落, "angles" 角度, etc. Dividing a circle up like pizza slices creates a "角"; hence, the divisions of one 元 (圓) came to be called a 角.

As Carmelos said, 毛 came from a simplification of 毫 - it is the bottom radical of the latter. 毫 in turn comes from one of the traditional Chinese unit for small numbers: 分 厘 毫 絲, corresponding to the modern 10-3 (it is still used for millimetres, 毫米/公厘). A theory is that 毛钱 was a type of coinage in the Song dynasty that had very small values, as its name suggests. The term persisted in that meaning of a "small denomination coin", and thus became synonymous with the modern small 角 coins.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: I thought it might be relevant to note that in Cantonese, 毫 is still used as the colloquial term for 10 cents.  
> **username_9**: @username_8 However, in Mandarin Chinese, 1 元 = 10 角 = 100 分 = 1000 厘 = 10000 毫  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2014-06-17. Score: 4

I don't know how good you are at Chinese,
you can read this Chinese wikipedia page for more information:
[http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/角\_(貨幣)](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A7%92_%28%E8%B2%A8%E5%B9%A3%29)

"毛" is simplified from "毫", which means little amount.
In Chinese we have a saying as "一分一毫", which means very little amount.
In most part of China, "毛" and "角" are interchangeable.


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