Re: Etymology for Pfennig

>Cleasby [Richard & Gudbrand Vigfusson, in "An Icelandic-English Dictionary",
>1874] gives the etymology for PENNINGR as "... from Latin PECUNIA . it is
>probably one of the earliest borrowed Gr.-Lat. words in Scandin. language".
>Unfortunately for me, I cannot figured out why from PECUNIA and not from
>Latin PENA [archaic poena]?
>
>Any Comments are Welcomed,
>
>S o r i n

The authors of the etymologies in the German-German dictionary
"Wahrig - Deutsches Wörterbuch" say

<<Pfennig < ahd. <pfenning>; vermutlich zu lateinischem <pannus>
"Stück Tuch" (Gewandstoffe dienten früher oft als Tausch- u.
Zahlungsmittel); verwandt mit <Pfand>)>> [i.e. piece of cloth;
often used instead of money in barter transactions; it's akin to
<Pfand> "collateral security"]

And that

<Pfand> < OHG <pfant> < Old French <pan(d)> "cloth, rag" < <pannus>.

George