Where does “pennyworth” come from?
Pennyworth comes from Middle English pennieworth, combining penny and worth from Old English weorþ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- meaning to turn or spend.
pennyworth (English): The amount that can be bought for a penny; A...
Definitions
- The amount that can be bought for a penny; A...
Ancestry of “pennyworth”, step by step
pennyworth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English penny
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | penny | In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a copper coin... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
via English worth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | worth | Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for;... |
| 2 | Middle English | worth | to become |
| 3 | Old English | weorþ | worth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |