different between halfpenny vs bawbee

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)
• (pre-decimalisation abbreviation) ½d

Etymology

From the Middle English halpeni, either from the late-Old English halpenige or from half +? peni; equivalent to half +? penny and continually reinforced by that surface analysis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?he?p(?)ni/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?h??f?p?ni/ (spelling pronunciation)

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.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, As You Like It (act III, scene 2)

     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.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

halfpenny (not comparable)

1. Costing or worth one halfpenny.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part 2 (act IV, scene 2)

     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.

English

Etymology

From Scots bawbee.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /b???bi?/

Noun

bawbee (plural bawbees)

1. (Scotland, historical) A coin originally worth six pennies Scots, and later three; held equivalent to an English halfpenny.
2. (figuratively) A copper; a small amount of money.
   • 2007, Simon Hoggart, The Guardian, 12 Jul 2007:

     He said there were already plans for a tramline, and a museum of the theatre. Folk should not, he implied, waste their bawbees on the devil's spinning wheel.

Scots

Etymology

Probably shortened from Sillebawbe, the territorial designation of Alexander Orrok, Scottish master of the mint in the 16th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b???bi?/

Noun

bawbee (plural bawbees)

1. (historical) bawbee, halfpenny
   • 1823, Walter Scott, St. Ronan's Well:

     ‘And muckle they hae made o't—the bankrupt body, Sandie Lawson, hasna paid them a bawbee of four terms' rent.’

2. money
3. dowry
   • 1803, Alexander Boswell, ‘Jenny's Bawbee’:

     A' clatty, squinting through a glass, / He girn'd, ‘I'faith a bonnie lass!’ / He thought to win, wi' front o' brass, / Jenny's bawbee.