Re: Etymology for Pfennig

I seem to remember that "penny", like "plow" and "path", are
mysterious words supposedly picked up in early Germanic from some
unknown central European I.E. language (Iranic?) that had not
undergone the p --> f shift.
I'll try to find a reference.
Dan
**********

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "S & L" <mbusines@...> wrote:
> Can somebody help me with the standard etymology for PFENNIG [from
Middle
> High German PFENNIC, from Old High German PFENNING] and eventually
for the
> Latin PENA ?
>
> Thank You,
> S o r i n
>
>
> P.S.
> ". the idea of paying as a penalty, Latin PENA, also gives origin
to the
> Polish word PIENIADZE, Czech PENÍZE, Slovak PENIAZE, and probably
to the
> words PENNY and the German PFENNIG. The general Scandinavian word
for
> "money" evolved from PFENNIG via PENNING, which was the currency
in the
> Scandinavian countries from the X to the XVI Century, to PENGER.
The Swedes
> spell it PENGAR, the Norwegians PENGER and the Danish PENGE.
> The Latin penalty fee PENA also made it to the Russian language,
where it
> stands for "penalty fe" ".
> [from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A873795%5d