Farthing
/ˈfɑːr.ðɪŋ/noun
A former British coin worth one quarter of a penny.
Did you know?The farthing’s name comes from its original value as a fourth of a penny, linking an ordinary coin to the ancient Indo-European word for “four.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷetwr̥-
“Four; the reconstructed root behind numerous words for four and fourth”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fedurðōn
“A fourth part; a Germanic formation based on the root for four”
Old English
Old English
fēorðing
“A fourth part or quarter”
Middle English
Middle English
ferthing
“A quarter of a penny; later, the name of the coin itself”
Modern English
English
farthing
“A former British coin equal to one quarter of a penny”
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