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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Penny-worth, n. Also: penni(e)-, penne-; peny-, peni-, pene-; pane- and -worthe, -wortht, -wourth, -vorth(e, -vortht, -vorcht, -worte, -vort, -vord, -vyrt. [ME. and e.m.E. peny-, pene-worth (14th c.), penniworth (1590), also pane-worþ (1340), OE. peniᵹ-weorð, peningcwurð. Cf. Pennorth n., Penworth n.] A pennyworth.

1. What a penny amounts to or will buy in goods; a penny's-worth. b. A very small amount; the least bit. 1449 Melville Chart. 33.
His eme sal recompence … his saide scathis, ilka peny or peny wortht 1456 Hay I. 155/21.
All that I may gett apon him … me think I suld tak fra him and never geve him a penyworth tharof 1535 Stewart 20590.
Gif ony wald defraude Or war so pert ane pennyworth to had 1541–2 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 513.
Exhorbitant derth of the fysche sua that na freman of burgh can get ane penny worth tharof 1600-1610 Melvill 21.
A pennie-worthe of aplesb. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1085.
I wil noght turn myn entent … Or I pair of pris ane pennyworth in this place

2. = Penny-land n. 2.Following a cardinal number or its equivalent, uninflected. 1499 Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 625.
The fourty pennyworth of my landis … lyand in to my barronry of Ekklis c 1525–35 Glasg. Dioc. Reg. I. 55. 1536 Reg. Privy S. II. 306/1.
The gift of the nonentres, [etc.] … of the thre scoir of pennyworth of the landis of Knodart

3. The equivalent of a certain sum or amount in money or, chiefly, in goods; equivalent payment.Chiefly in plur., in sing. or collective sense. (For further sing. examples, see Penny n. 5.)Money and pennyworthis, cash and kind, = pens (or penny) and pennyworth(is), Penny n. 5.(1) plur. 1431 Acts II. 20/1.
Golde or silver for the tane halfe and gascone wyne or siclyk gude penny worthis for the tother half 1456 Hay I. 135/34.
Quhethir gif the marchand salbe payit of his hors and othir penyworthis 1460 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. V. i. 390 (23 Apr.).
That na induellande … tak wed ony gudis that Wat Cutlaris wife bryngis for ony pennyworthes other than dry syluer 1485 Acts II. 172/2.
That nane of his liegis refuse thaim [placks and haif-placks] … nor rase thair penny worthis hear na thai wald sell for vthir money gold or siluir 1517 Wigtown B. Ct. 77 a.
Johne Schevaleyre … sellyt ane chyp … for xxiiij cronys the thovne of vyne … the tua part peneuorttis & the tyrd part syluer 1522 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 94 b.
ix lb. gud and wsuel mony of Scotland with out ony other penniworthis 1527 Wigtown B. Ct. 184 b.
Pennevyrtis 1553 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 20.
[He] said he wald tak nane penneworthis bot he wald haiff the thyng at was contenit in the act of his compromyt 1563 St. A. Kirk S. 165.
Sche … gave certan penneworthis to Margret Huntar to pay for the fosteryng of the same 1567 Glasgow Prot. III. 99.
To be payit in nowmberit money without pennie worthis 1575 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 41.
That na merchantis [etc.] … by tallowne, hydis or skynnis witht strangeris money or penneworthis vnder colour 1608 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 41.
Actit … for iiij lib. betuix and ȝule or sufficient pennyworthis therfoir 1644 Carnock Kirk S. in Row xxvii.
My wife gat sum peniworthes fra Nans Girson quhilk shoe was aughten to the box 1677 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 83.
In caise that … her geir be poyndit it is ordainit … that … [she] shall paye twentie merkes of pennieworthes to the said William Muire 1678 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 257.
He … promist to pay hir or give hir penyworths for the sowme aclamed be hir against himsing. 1627 Bamff Chart. 217.
To … delyver … the sowme of tua hundreth merkis … in pennie and pennieworth and the samyne pennieworthe to be sichtit and prysit be [etc.](2) 1482 Crawford Mun. Invent. II. 10 (2 May).
[£40] of vsvale money of Scotland or in gud and sufficiand pennywourthis 1492 H. Marwick Orkney Farm-names (1952) 197.
And the laif of the butter scatt of unblawn land to be payit in pennyworthis sic as growis upon the ground 1515 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 35.
In the … usuall mony off Scotland or in penneworthis 1553 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 20.
Thai dissyrit the said Williem to taik the tayne halff in pennyworthis 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 201.
Thai had payit hym all the said sovme in pennie worthis as ane feddir bed tymmyr bedds and vtheris gudis & geris ane burd & ane bink allanerlie 1657 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 1041.
Quheroff payit ten pundis in pennivorthis(3) 1566 Prot. Bk. J. Foulis 97.
Payit … in reddy money and sufficient pennyworthis to ws 1567 Douglas Chart. 264 (see Penny n. 5 plur.).
Paneworthtis 1579–80 Reg. Privy C. III. 269.
Gret sowmes of silvir in money and penny worthis 1623 Brechin Test. IV. 122 b.
To … hir sister … and hir bearnis fyiftie markis in money or pennevorthis amounting to the samin … hir husband … to delyuer the said sovme or pennevorthis

4. An amount of merchandise for retail sale.Found only in plur. = retail merchandise. In penny worthis = (sold) in small amounts, in retail.(1) 1425 Acts II. 9/2.
Ande quhat stranger at bringis merchandice within the realme … ande takis mone thairfor he sal hafe witnessing … that he ware all sic mone for pennyworthis of this realme 1456 Hay I. 238/33.
Na suld na man sell thame [sc. pilgrims] derror penyworthis na wont was to be in the contree 1492 Perth Guildry 124 (15 Feb.).
Johne Cristison suid bring … all penny worthis that he byis within the fredome to this burgh 1493 Acts. II. 234/1.
Quhilk is the caus of derth and exalting of thair pennyworthis sic as schone was wont to be sauld for xij d. 1521 Wigtown B. Ct. 116 a.
That na pennivordis … fysche nor flech be coft quhill it present the cros 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 151.
Under the pane of viii s. fra Thursday furtht that thair vyttaillis and pennevorchtis be sauld 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 46.
We haif tynt the mercat that we suld haif maid money of our penny worthis 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 103.
Sic marchandice and pennyworthis as is within the realme 1550–1 Perth Guildry 274 (20 Feb.).
That na … sellaris tak apon hand … to … sell ony kynd of merchandis or pennyworthis bot with just mettis and mesuris 15.. Lanark B. Rec. 20.
And quha sellis derrar it salbe lefull to the byar to [refuis] payment and tak the penneworths at thar awin hand 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 317.
The victuallis sic as breid [etc.] … and uthir pennyworthis being sauld in small ar sett to heichar priceis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 16.
Nochttheles a grete part of the commonis now abstractis thair waris and penniworthis [ed. punni-] fra him and giffis them to uther merschandis(2) 14.. Acts I. 61/2.
That na strangear merchand … sall cut claith or sell in penny worthis bot in grete

5. sing. and plur.: Money's worth, (good or bad) value (of or for one's money).(1) 1547 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. vi. Hope v. Tod & Robertson.
And he purposet to heif blokit with him & he cuth heif gottin ane penny wortht of it 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix.
If they call it conquies or the penny-worth of their pecunial pryce [etc.] 1628 Sutherland Corr. 148.
Our nephew … haid werie iwill pennieworthe off the blake naig ye bocht to him 1683 Peebles B. Rec. II. 109.
Being forced to stand ther till night the buyers still expecting the best pennie worth last 1685 in Sinclair Satan's Inv. World Suppl. cii.
He had a good pennyworth of peuther spoons fine like silver(2) 1584 St. A. Kirk S. 547.
He hed gottin ower litill penniworthis lett him haif penny worthis for his money 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 52.
This time of grace … hes been dispensed to you very lang … take your penniworthes of it for ye wott not how lang it lasts 1661 Black Sc. Witches 40.
Because you had ill penniworths and unconsionable weght c 1690 Cromartie Corr. I. 67.
The men are all safe [from the shipwreck] and I hear they got uery good peniwortes of it