halpeni

Middle English

Alternative forms

• Singular:
  • (with the first element, half- or alf-, preserved) halfpenī, halfpanī, alfpenī
  • (with the first element reduced to hal-, al-, ha-, or hel-) halpenie, halpeneī, halpanī, alpenī, hapenī, helpenī
• Plural:
  • (without loss of final vowel and g) halpeniges
  • (without loss of final vowel, whence modern halfpennies) halpenī̆s, halpenes, halfpenies
  • (with loss of final vowel, whence modern halfpence) halpens, halpans, halpons, alpens, halfpens

Etymology

From Late Old English halpenige, equivalent to half +‎ penī (“penny”).

Noun

halpenī (plural halpenī̆s)

1. a halfpenny
2. a halfpenny given in charity
3. (biblical, Goddes halpenī) a coin from biblical times, a small foreign coin
4. (nautical, galeie halpenī) a small foreign coin
5. (halpenī of gold) an English gold coin worth five shillings, equivalent to a crown
6. (used in compounds, attributive) costing a halfpenny, weighing as much as halfpenny

Descendants

• English: halfpenny, ha'penny