Where does “twelvepenny” come from?
twelvepenny (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.
twelvepenny (English): Having a value or cost of twelvepence; Trifling;...
Definitions
- Having a value or cost of twelvepence; Trifling;...
Ancestry of “twelvepenny”, step by step
twelvepenny 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 twelve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | twelve | The cardinal number occurring after eleven and... |
| 2 | Middle English | twelve | twelve |
| 3 | Old English | twelf | twelve |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | twalif | twelve |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -lif | left over |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |