peny

See also: peny- and pěny

English

Noun

peny (plural penies or pence or pens)

  1. Obsolete form of penny.

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English peniġ, a form of penning, from Proto-West Germanic *panning, from Proto-Germanic *panningaz.

The plural pens possibly originates in collocations such as six penies which were pronounced as a unit with stress (largely) on the first element (/ˈsikspɛni(ː)s/, /ˈsikspɛni(ː)z/), making the unstressed final vowel especially vulnerable to syncope due to its distance from the stress.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɛniː/
  • IPA(key): /ˈpaniː/ (especially East Saxon or West Midland)

Noun

peny (plural penies or pens or (early Southern and Southwest Midlands) panewes)

  1. A penny or other silver coin (including ancient coins)
  2. The weight corresponding to that coin.
  3. Money or coinage (especially that with little value).
  4. (in compounds) A tax, fee, or charge.

Descendants

  • English: penny (see there for further descendants)
  • Middle Scots: penny

References

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