Where does “twopence” come from?

Twopence comes from English penny and English two, ultimately from Old English twēġen and Old English penny, tracing back through Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning two.

twopence (English): A British or Irish coin worth two pence; A cost...

Definitions

  1. A British or Irish coin worth two pence; A cost...

Ancestry of “twopence”, step by step

twopence traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English two

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtwoA numerical value equal to 2; this many dots;...
2Middle Englishtwotwo
3Old Englishtwātwo
4Old Englishtwēġentwo; twain
5Proto-West Germanictwai-two
6Proto-Germanictwaitwo
7Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two

via English Pence

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPence(the subunit of the pound sterling or Irish pound)
2Middle EnglishpenyA penny or other silver coin including ancient coins
3Old Englishpenningpenny
4Proto-Germanicpanningaza coin, penny
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ →Every word from Proto-Germanic twai →Every word from Proto-West Germanic twai- →