Where does “pennywise” come from?

pennywise (English) comes from English penny, from English -y, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.

pennywise (English): Careful with small amounts of money or over small...

Definitions

  1. Careful with small amounts of money or over small...

Ancestry of “pennywise”, step by step

pennywise traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English penny

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpennyIn the United Kingdom and Ireland, a copper coin...
2English-yAdded to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives...
3Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
4Old English-iġ-y, -ic
5Proto-West Germanic-gForms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a...
6Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
7Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic

via English wise

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwiseShowing good judgement or the benefit of...
2Middle Englishwyswise, thoughtful, proper; knowledgeable; alert,...
3Old Englishwīswise
4Proto-Germanicwīsazwise, knowledgeable
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweydstosknowledgeable
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ḱosEvery word from English -yEvery word from Old English -iġ