Where does “penniless” come from?

Penniless derives from Middle English penyles, meaning without pennies or money.

penniless (English): Lacking even the smallest amount of money

Definitions

  1. Lacking even the smallest amount of money

Ancestry of “penniless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpenyles—
2Middle Englishpenny—

Words derived from “penniless”

Every word from Middle English penny →Every word from Middle English penyles →
penniless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer