Saturday, February 28, 2015

Sceat (a coin), in my words + sceattas

sceter : sceat (coin)

The sceat was a small, thick, silver Anglo-Saxon coin minted circa 675-750 AD. Sceattas pre-date Anglo-Saxon pennies. The modern English term sceat comes from the Old English word sceatt.

The Illunse word for sceat is sceter. Sceter is a rare last name. Sceter looks somewhat similar to the Modern English word sceptre.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word sceatt (property; money; payment), and the Latin word sesterius (a large brass coin minted during the Roman Empire; a small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic; worth 1/4 denarius).

The sceat and the sesterius were coins from completely different time periods, although both were, in their time, in everyday use. I'm not claiming that they are in any way equivalent. This Illunse word is admittedly something I threw together, a kludge, to construct another denomination of coins. I'm thinking of making the Illunse sceter worth more than the Illunse dening, or penny.

The picture is of an Anglo-Saxon sceat coin from Kent.

sceteras : sceattas (coins)

The Illunse word for sceattas (nominative plural) is sceteras.

In Latin the plural of sesterius is sestertii. In Old English the plural of sceatt is sceattas.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Money, in my words + moneys or monies

feoca : money

The Illunse word for money is feoca. Feoca is a very rare last name. The Parish Church in Feock, Cornwall, UK is dedicated to Saint Feoca, about whom very little is known.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for money, feoh (money, wealth; cattle; name of the rune for f), and the Latin word pecunia (money, cash; property).

The picture is of part of the Lenborogh Hoard of Anglo-Saxon silver coins.

feocae : moneys or monies

The Illunse word for moneys or monies (nominative plural) is feocae.

Moneys or monies in Latin is pecuniae. Moneys or monies in Old English is apparently feoh (same as the singular).

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Farthing, in my words + farthings

cwadring : farthing

The Illunse word for farthing (low-value coin) is cwadring. Similar Cadring is a rare last name.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for farthing, féorðling or feórðlung (farthing, a fourthling, one quarter of a penny) (which I transliterate to feorthling or feorthlung), and the Latin word quadrans (fourth part, a quarter; Roman bronze coin worth one quarter of an as) (which I transliterate to cwadrans).

The Greek word for quadrans was translated in the King James Version of the Bible as farthing. (Picture shown is of an Roman quadrans coin).

cwadringas : farthings

The Illunse word for farthings (nominative plural) is cwadringas.

The Latin plural of quadrans is quadrantes. Farthings in Old English is féorðlingas or féorðlunga.

Saturday, February 07, 2015

Penny, in my words + pennies

dening : penny

The Illunse word for penny (small coin of little value) is dening. Dening is a unusual to uncommon last name. Dening is a rare first name. Dening is a place in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for penny, pening (a penny coin, in Anglo-Saxon England a silver coin worth 240th of a pound), and the Latin word denarius (a small silver coin issued during the Roman Empire). Neither of these were the smallest coin denomination of their time. (Picture shown is of an Æthelred the Unready penny from around 1000 AD.)

This is a new word. My first Illunse word for some time.

deningas : pennies

The Illunse word for pennies (nominative plural) is deningas. Deningas is a rare last name.

The Latin plural of denarius is denarii. Pennies in Old English is peningas.