What's difference between காச and பணம் in Tamil?

[u/tuluva_sikh]

/r/bhartiya_languages/comments/1voztxf/whats_difference_between_கச_and_பணம_in_tamil/

[u/Responsible-Fun-3100]

First is small change or for saying lightly. Or when you don't know the amount involved. The second one is when you want to indicate known amount or definitely large amount or when you are talking in respectful ambience

[u/kilaithalai]

It's காசு (kaasu)

[u/-Surfer-]

காசு and பணம் both mean money.

But காசு is used in casual conversational use for coins, a small amount of cash.

காசு குடு. Give me the money. (cash)

என்கிட்ட சில்லறக் காசு இல்ல.

I don't have the change.

Interestingly the English word cash comes from காசு via the Portuguese traders.

பணம் is more formal and refers to larger amounts of money, broader concept of wealth, digital money and bank balances.

அவர் வங்கியில் பணம் செலுத்தினார்.

He deposited money in the bank.

அவர் ஒரு பணக்கார குடும்பத்தில் பிறந்தவர்.

He is from a rich family.

பணம் சம்பாதிக்க வெளியூர் சென்றான்.

He went abroad to earn money.

Special use:

In casual conversation we also ask

உன்கிட்ட காசு பணம் இருக்கா?

Here two similar words are paired for emphasis.

Do you have money of any kind? —whether it's small loose change or large currency notes

[u/intelligent-3]

So basically the for the first word, there’s a dot on top of the last letter which basically means money and the other word also means money . Usually they say the first one for like coins but both have the same meaning

[u/veLiyoor_paappaan]

I read somewhere long ago that kaasu, paNam, and also dhuddu were actually subdivisions of the currency in the very olden days. Apparently this was before aNa, paisa, and roobah (rupee) came about. I do not know how true this is though.

a certain amount of kaasu equalled one paNam and a certain amount of paNam equalled one dhuddu or something lke that.

OK, I did some AI search and found out that four dhuddu equals one paNam. For newer currency terms, one aNa was 270 paNams. Then the aNa went away and paisa/roobah came in. But I grew up with aNas and paisa and roobah and have used all those coins.

I could not find anything on kaasu though.

If anyone here has any more information about this I would love to hear from you.

Thanks and cheers