Where does “halpenī” come from?
halpenī (Middle English) comes from Old English halpenige, from Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
halpenī (Middle English): a halfpenny often given in charity
Definitions
- a halfpenny often given in charity
Ancestry of “halpenī”, step by step
halpenī traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English halpenige
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | halpenige | halfpenny |
| 2 | Old English | healf | side; half; partly |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *halb | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | halbaz | half |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
via Middle English peni
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | peni | A penny or other silver coin , or the weight... |
| 2 | Old English | penning | penny |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | panningaz | a coin, penny |
via Middle English half
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | half | half |