Penny
/ˈpɛni/noun
A small-denomination coin or unit of currency, especially one cent in the U.S. or one hundredth of a pound in the U.K.
Did you know?“Penny” ultimately goes back to a Germanic word for a coin, and its ancient relatives are tied to the same deep monetary root that also gave English words for money-like units across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*panningaz
“a coin or money piece”
Old English
OE
pening
“a penny, coin, or monetary unit”
Old English
OE
penig
“a penny”
Middle English
ME
penny
“a penny, coin of small value”
Modern English
English
penny
“a small coin or unit of currency”