halfpenny

From Middle English halpeni, halfpeni (“English coin worth half a penny; coin used in biblical times; small foreign coin”),^[1] and then either:

• from half (“half”)^[2] (from Old English healf;^[3] ultimate etymology unknown, possible from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to incline”) or *(s)kelH- (“to cut; to separate, split”)) + peni, penni (“English coin; coin used in biblical times; foreign coin; (especially in the plural) cash, money; pennyweight”)^[4] (from Old English penning,^[5] from Proto-Germanic *panningaz (“coin, penny”); further etymology uncertain); or
• from Late Old English halpene, halpenige (which can also be construed as early Middle English), from healf + penning (see above).

By surface analysis, half +‎ penny.^[6]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈheɪp(ə)ni/, (spelling pronunciation) /ˌhɑːfˈpɛni/

• Audio (Received Pronunciation); /ˌhɑːfˈpɛni/:

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈheɪp(ə)ni/, (spelling pronunciation) /ˌhæfˈpɛni/

• Audio (General American); /ˈheɪpni/:

  (file)

• Rhymes: (one pronunciation) -ɛni
• Hyphenation: half‧pen‧ny

halfpenny (plural halfpennies or halfpence)

1. (numismatics, historical, also attributive)
   1. Senses chiefly with the plural form halfpennies.
      2. (UK) A discontinued English (later British) coin worth half of one penny (old or new).

         Synonyms: (pre-decimal abbreviation) ½d, (decimal abbreviation) ½p

         • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 197, column 2:

           There vvere none principal, they vvere all like one another, as halfe pence are, euerie one fault ſeeming monſtrous, til his fellovv-fault came to match it.

         • 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing a Scene of Distress, which will Appear Very Extraordinary to Most of Our Readers”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume V, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XIII, page 73:

           [T]here are Thouſands vvho vvould not have contributed a ſingle Halfpenny, as indeed he did not in Effect, for he made no Tender of any thing; and therefore as the others thought proer to make no Demand, he kept his Money in his Pocket.

         • 1840, Oliver Goldsmith, “Biography of Oliver Goldsmith”, in Washington Irving, The Life of Oliver Goldsmith, with Selections from His Writings. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 53:

           Whatever means he used in making his way to London, it is certain he made his entrance there with but a few halfpence in his pocket.

         • a. 1886 (date written), Christmas is Coming; quoted in Georgina F[rederica] Jackson, compiler, “Rhymes and Sayings. [Nursery Rhymes and Children’s Jingles.]”, in Charlotte Sophia Burne, editor, Shropshire Folk-lore: A Sheaf of Gleanings. […], part III, London: Trübner & Co., […], 1886, →OCLC, page 571:

           Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, / Please to put a penny in the old man's hat, / If you haven't got a penny, a halfpenny will do, / If you haven't got a halfpenny—God bless you!

      3. (by extension, Ireland, Scotland) A similar coin formerly used in Ireland and Scotland.
   2. Senses chiefly with the plural form halfpence.
      1. (UK) An amount of money that the English (later British) coin was worth.
         • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 138, column 2:

           There ſhall be in England, ſeuen halfe peny Loaues ſold for a peny: the three hoop'd pot, ſhall haue ten hoopes, and I vvill make it Fellony to drink ſmall Beere.

         • 1760, Oliver Goldsmith, “The Editor’s Preface”, in The Citizen of the World; or Letters from a Chinese Philosopher, […], volume II, London: […] [F]or the author; and sold by J. Newbery and W. Bristow, […]; J. Leake and W. Frederick, […]; B. Collins, […]; and A. M. Smart and Co. […], published 1762, →OCLC, page v:

           My earlieſt vviſh vvas to eſcape unheeded through life; but I have been ſet up for half-pence, to fret and ſcamper at the end of my chain.

         • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Dobbin of Ours”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 33:

           [I]t was bruited abroad that he was admitted into Dr. Swishtail's academy upon what are called 'mutual principles'—that is to say, the expenses of his board and schooling were defrayed by his father, in goods not money; […] The jokes were frightful, and merciless against him. […] Another would set a sum—"If a pound of mutton-candles cost sevenpence-halfpenny, how much must Dobbin cost?" and a roar would follow from all the circle of young knaves, usher and all, who rightly considered that the selling of goods by retail is a shameful and infamous practice, meriting the contempt and scorn of all real gentlemen.

      2. (by extension, Ireland, Scotland) An amount of money that the Irish or Scottish coin was worth.
2. (by extension)
   1. (philately, historical) A postage stamp worth half of one penny.
   2. (chiefly Australia, US, agriculture, archaic) A usually semicircular earmark made in the ear of a livestock animal.
   3. (obsolete, figurative) A small piece; a fragment.
      • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], signature D2, recto:

        O ſhe tore the letter into a thouſand halfpence, raild at her ſelf, that ſhe ſhould be ſo immodeſt to vvrite, to one that ſhe knevv vvould flout her, […]

Regarding sense 1.1.1 (“discontinued English (later British) coin”), between 1971 when the currency of the United Kingdom was decimalized, and 1984 when the halfpenny coin was demonetized, the coin was often written as half penny and pronounced (RP) /ˌhɑːfˈpɛni/, (GA) /ˌhæfˈpɛni/. Now, when it is necessary to refer to the amount of money, it is generally written half a penny.^[6]

• (with the first element half preserved): halfepenie, halfepenny, halfepeny, halfepenye, halfpenie, halfpeny, halfpenye (all obsolete)
• (with the first element reduced to ha-, ha’, or hal-): halpeny, halpenye, hapeney, hapenny, ha'penny, happenny (all obsolete except ha’penny)
• (with the first element altered to haw-): hawpny (dialectal, obsolete)

• halfpenny (British decimal coin) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• half penny (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia