different between shilling vs farthing

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???l??/
• Rhymes: -?l??

Etymology 1

From Middle English schilling, shilling, from Old English s?illing, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz, equivalent to skill +? -ing. Doublet of scalding.

Noun

shilling (plural shillings)

1. (historical) A coin formerly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries worth twelve old pence, or one twentieth of a pound sterling.

   • A great bargain also had been […] the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.

2. The currency of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
3. (US, historical) A currency in the United States, differing in value between states.
4. (US, historical, New York and some other states) The Spanish real, formerly having the value of one eighth of a dollar.

Usage notes

Abbreviations

• (in UK, etc): s. or s or / (solidus)
• (in Kenya): Ksh; (in Somalia) So. Sh.; (in Tanzania) TSh; (in Uganda) UGS

In East Africa, the names of the currencies usually use the proper noun for the country, not its adjectival form: "Kenya shilling", "Tanzania shilling", etc. Amounts are written with a solidus, probably from the UK usage: "2/50" is 2 shillings, 50 cents (not pence); 30 shillings only is written "30/=".

Synonyms

• (Britain, Ireland, Australia, East Africa): bob, generalise, gen, hog, Abraham's willing (archaic)
• (Australia): deener

Derived terms

• King's shilling
• shilling mark
• shillingsworth
• take the shilling

Translations

See also

• schilling
• skilding
• skilling
• solidus

Further reading

• Currencies of the world

Etymology 2

See shill.

Verb

shilling

1. present participle of shill

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i.li?/

Noun

shilling m (plural shillings)

1. shilling (old UK coin)

Middle English

Noun

shilling

1. Alternative form of schilling

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English shilling, from Middle English shilling, Old English s?illing, and ultimately Proto-Germanic *skillingaz. Doublet of schilling and skilling.

Noun

shilling m (definite singular shillingen, indefinite singular shilling, definite plural shillingene)

1. (numismatics) a shilling

References

• “shilling” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English shilling, from Middle English shilling, Old English s?illing, and ultimately Proto-Germanic *skillingaz. Doublet of schilling and skilling.

Noun

shilling m (definite singular shillingen, indefinite plural shilling or shillings, definite plural shillingane)

1. (numismatics) a shilling

References

• “shilling” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Etymology

From Middle English ferthing, from Old English f?orþing, f?orþung (“a quarter, fourth part, farthing”), from f?orþa (“fourth”), from Proto-Germanic *fedurþungaz (“a quarter”), probably influenced by Old Norse fjórðungr (“a fourth part, quarter”). Equivalent to fourth +? -ing.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f??(?).ð??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)ð??

Noun

farthing (plural farthings)

1. (historical) Former British unit of currency worth one-quarter of an old penny; or a coin representing this.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Chapter V:

     "Nay, Heaven forbid, indeed," quoth Robin, "that I should take from such as thee, jolly fellow! Not so much as one farthing would I take from thee, for I love a fair Saxon face like thine right well—more especially when it cometh from Locksley Town, and most especially when the man that owneth it is to marry a bonny lass on Thursday next. But come, tell me for what price thou wilt sell me all of thy meat and thy horse and cart."

   • 1895, Parliament of Western Australia, Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly VIII, page 163:

     We must keep them to the fact that the duty is one and three quarter farthings, or nearly a half-penny in the pound and no more, and any one who tries to work it out any other way is not acting fairly in the matter.

   • I had never defrauded a man of a farthing, nor called him knave behind his back. But now the last rag that covered my nakedness had been torn from me. I was branded a blackleg, card-sharper, and murderer.

2. (figuratively) A very small quantity or value; the least possible amount.

   Synonyms: jot, shred, whit

   • 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xvi:

     That period of infatuation was not unrelieved by a certain amount of self-introspection on my part. I kept account of every farthing I spent, and my expenses were carefully calculated. Every little item such as omnibus fares or postage or a couple of coppers spent on newspapers, would be entered, and the balance struck every evening before going to bed. That habit has stayed with me ever since, and I know that as a result, though I have had to handle public funds amounting to lakhs, I have succeeded in exercising strict economy in their disbursement, and instead of outstanding debts have had invariably a surplus balance in respect of all the movements I have led.

3. (obsolete) A division of land.

Derived terms

Translations

Middle English

Noun

farthing

1. Alternative form of ferthing