Where does “tuppenny-ha'penny” come from?
tuppenny-ha'penny (English) comes from English ha’penny, from English halfpenny, from Middle English halpenī, from Old English halpenige, from Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
tuppenny-ha'penny (English): Very cheap
Definitions
- Very cheap
Ancestry of “tuppenny-ha'penny”, step by step
tuppenny-ha'penny traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ha’penny
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ha’penny | A halfpenny; a former British and Irish coin |
| 2 | English | halfpenny | A discontinued British coin worth half of one... |
| 3 | Middle English | halpenī | a halfpenny often given in charity |
| 4 | Old English | halpenige | halfpenny |
| 5 | Old English | healf | side; half; partly |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *halb | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | halbaz | half |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
via English tuppenny
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tuppenny | Literally, worth tuppence (two pence); of little value or status |