halfpenny

See also: Halfpenny

English

Alternative forms

• (with the first element, half, preserved) halfepenny, halfepeny, halfepenie, halfepenye; halfpenny, halfpeny, halfpenie, halfpenye (all obsolete except halfpenny)
• (with the first element reduced to hal-, ha’, or ha-) halpeny, halpenye, hapeney, ha’penny, hapenny, happenny (all obsolete except ha’penny)
• (with the first element corrupted to haw-) hawpny (dialectal, obsolete)
• (decimal abbreviation) ½p (pre-decimalisation abbreviation) ½d

Etymology

From the Middle English halpeni, either from the late-Old English halpenige or from half +‎ peni. By surface analysis, half +‎ penny and continually reinforced by it.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (RP spelling pronunciation)

  (file)

Noun

halfpenny (plural halfpennies or halfpence)

1. (plural: halfpennies) (historical) A discontinued British coin worth half of one penny (old or new).
   • Christmas is coming (traditional carol)

     If you haven't got a penny, / A ha'penny will do, / If you haven't got a ha'penny, / Then God bless you.

2. (plural: halfpence) A quantity of money worth half a penny.
   • 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]:

     There were none principal; they were all like one another as halfpence are; every one fault seeming monstrous till his fellow fault came to match it.

   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair:

     "If a pound of mutton-candles cost sevenpence-halfpenny, how much must Dobbin cost?"

Derived terms

• bord halfpenny
• halfpenny farthing
• halfpenny of gold
• halfpenny under the hat
• have one’s hand on another halfpenny
• have one’s heart on one’s halfpenny
• not a halfpenny the worse
• penny halfpenny, a
• shove halfpenny
• three halfpence
• twopenny-halfpenny

Translations

British coin worth half of one penny

• French: demi-penny (fr) m
• Irish: leathphingin f
• Maori: hēpene
• Polish: półpensówka (pl) f
• Welsh: dimai f

Adjective

halfpenny (not comparable)

1. Costing or worth one halfpenny.
   • 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]:

     There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and I will make it felony to drink small beer.