penniless
/ˈpɛnɪləs/
adjective
Origin
Old English
penig — a penny or monetary unit
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having no money; extremely poor.
Literal older meaning
without a penny
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
pennilesse
Earliest period
late 16th century
Journey
The term relies on the historical status of the 'penny' as the most fundamental and ubiquitous unit of British currency for centuries. To be 'penniless' was a literal description of the poorest stratum of society who lacked even the smallest denomination of coin.
Evolution
- Old English
penig
“penny”
Base noun from which the adjective is derived.
- Middle English
peniles
“having no money”
Formation using the suffix -less.
- Early Modern English
pennilesse
“destitute”
Standardization of spelling.
Connections
Word parts
penny
root
base unit of currency
-less
suffix
without
Related across languages
German
Pfennig
a former German coin
Dutch
penning
token or coin
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Related to penniless
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.