Middle English Dictionary Entry
penī-wō̆rth n.
Entry Info
Forms | penī-wō̆rth n. Also pene-, pen-, pane-, penni-. |
Etymology | From penī n. & wō̆rth n.; also cp. OE penig-weorþ, healf-pening-wurð. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Goods costing a penny; what can be bought for a penny, a small quantity; what is worth a penny; also fig. of an abstraction; peni ne ~; (b) pl. goods, merchandise; god (faire, bettre) peniworthes, goods well (better) worth the price; wel peniworthes, overpriced goods; for here peniworthes, for their own goods, as their own; bisetten peniworth(es, to bring (one's) wares to market, drive a bargain; (c) sg. & pl. goods valued at a certain amount; in peni and in ~, in penies and in peniworthes, in money and in goods; (d) price.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 Pennyw.Wit(1) (Auch)47 : Haue a fair pani here..Bi þer wiþ a peniworþ witt, & in þine hert fast it knitt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)37/2 : Hi habbeþ þri paneworþes of worke uor ane peny.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.49 : Men of lawe..Of Parisches and Prelatus heor pencion schulde aryse, And of þe pore peple no peneworþ to take.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.64 : Alle þat he mot gete, he robbed & reft; Peny no penyworth, no þing he no left.
- a1425 PPl.A(1) (UC 45)3.237 : Penyworth [Trin-C: In marchaundie is no mede, I may it wel auowe; It is a permutacioun apertly, a peny for anoþer].
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)456 : Take alkenet ii penyworth, and frie hit in faire grese.
- (1440) *Bench Bk.3 Hull15b : Thai sell thair ale oute of thair houses unto the people by penyworthes and halpenyworthes als long as thay hafe any.
- a1450(?1418) The herrere degre (Dgb 102)38 : Sette mendis for trespas in euene balaunce; For a penyworth of harm, tak not two.
- a1450 SLeg.Barlaam (Bod 779)579 : I wole..ȝilde þe þy mede..For ech peny worþ good, þt þu hast me do.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)1561 : Where may we for þis folke haue brede?..Two hundred penyworth may not suffise.
- c1450 Okure þrow (Eg 2810)p.232 : He wylle fore ilk peny of dett Þre penyworth of work sette.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)501/14 : vj penyworth of yerely rente..be take of one acre of the lond of Thomas lewes.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1727 : A penyworthe of brede at his dirige was brought [read: bought].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)94a : A Penny worrth: denariatum.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)23/29 : Ydeleblisse..is þe dyeules peni, huermide he bayþ alle þe uayre pane-worþes ine the markatte of þise wordle.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)90/33 : Charite is a guod chapfare þet oueral wynþ and none time ne lyest; alle þe guode paneworþes hy bayþ.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.175 : Þere were chapmen chosen þat chaffare to preise..Þo risen vp..And preisiden þe peneworthis [vrr. peniworþus, penworþes, penyworth] apertly be hemseluen.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)257/17 : Quene Isabel..toke into Her Honde..al þe landes..þat perteynede vnto þe croune..a grete manie of her retenue..folwede..þe Kyngus courte..and tok þe Kyngus prises for her penyworthes [F pur lour darreis] at gode chepe; wherfore þe contre þat þai comen in were..almost destroiede.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)268/7 : Sir Roger the Mortymer..bisette his penyworthe [vr. penyworthes; F enploie ses darrez] wiþ þe officers of þe Quenes househalde in þe same maner as þe Kyngus officeres deden; & so he made his takyngus as tochyng vitailes, and also of cariages.
- (1403-4) LRed Bk.Bristol2.182 : Alle estraungeours that commeth to the same towne wyth eny penyworthes yclepid smythware to sylle..schulle stond in a place bysydes the hye croys of Bristow.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)150 : Riht ofte she sheweth goode penywoorthes, But afterward whan thei ben bouht, she hath oothere of the same colour which she deliuereth the biggere.
- (1463) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)33 : Divers foreins..that..leve their best frutes in their ynnes..and there prively sille them in grete to the forein fruterers..and with the werst frute therof gone hokkyng a boute from strete to strete..shulde..sille unto the comons better penyworthes then they nowe doon.
- (c1465) Stonor1.68 : God knoweth full evell penyworthes thei had and sharp.
c
- (1429) Reg.Langley in Sur.Soc.169166 : Item, to Margaret, my servant, in peny and in penyworth, xjxx and x marcz.
- (1465-6) Acc.Howard in RC 57175 : John Hynde agreed..to pay me be the ferste day of lente..viij li. in mony, or in klothe swche peneworthes as I schal holde me plesed.
- (1481) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.145 : [He should pay at the marriage..100 marks] in pens and resonable penyworthes.
d
- (1466-7) Acc.Howard in RC 57171 : Ȝe ar a greed that he schale have theme at schwesche a pryse as ȝe kane akorde; were fore we pray ȝow that ȝe wol lete heme have them the bett peneworthe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)77 : For a lose hove: Take…tarre…rosyn…tansey…rewe…myntes, and sotheroun wode as moche, and bray all thyse to geder in a morter, and than shall be þut þerto half j libra off butter, and a penywerth off virgyn wax…sey ham alle to geder…and ley this þerto…and hit well be hole.
Note: Postdates word. Belongs to sense (a)