Where does “ninepence” come from?

Ninepence comes from English nine and English penny, ultimately deriving from Old English niġon and Old English penny through Proto-Germanic newun and Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥.

ninepence (English): A former British silver coin, worth nine old...

Definitions

  1. A former British silver coin, worth nine old...

Ancestry of “ninepence”, step by step

ninepence traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English nine

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnineA numerical value equal to 9; the number...
2Middle Englishnynnine
3Old Englishniġonnine
4Proto-Germanicnewunnine
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁néwn̥nine

via English Pence

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPence(the subunit of the pound sterling or Irish pound)
2Middle EnglishpenyA penny or other silver coin including ancient coins
3Old Englishpenningpenny
4Proto-Germanicpanningaza coin, penny
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥ →Every word from Proto-Germanic newun →Every word from Old English niġon →
ninepence — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer