What does farthingsworth mean?
Farthingsworth is a rare archaic British noun denoting a value equal to that of a farthing, a small coin once worth one quarter of a penny. The compound is transparent: it combines “farthing” with “worth” in the older sense of monetary value. It is chiefly found in historical or literary material and was particularly suited to expressions denying that something possessed even the slightest value, such as “not worth a farthing.” Although largely obsolete in ordinary speech, the word provides a compact illustration of how English formed monetary value-compounds. It is closely related in structure to “pennyworth” and historically connected with “farthing,” whose name derives from the same numerical concept as “fourth,” reflecting the coin's value as a quarter of a penny. For modern readers, “not worth a farthing” generally communicates the intended meaning more immediately.
nounA farthing's worth; a quantity or value equal to one farthing, a former British coin worth one quarter of a penny.
- A value equal to that of one farthing coin.
"His promise was not worth a farthingsworth."
"His promise was not worth a farthingsworth."
"The estate records include a payment of one farthingsworth."
The plural is farthingsworths, although the word normally occurs in singular or mass constructions and is chiefly historical.
"The ledger records three farthingsworths paid to the tenant."
A farthingsworth was the value of one of Britain's smallest coins—a mere quarter of a penny.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does farthingsworth come from?
The word is a compound of Middle English “farthing” and “worth,” meaning value or price. “Farthing” derives from Old English fēorðing, literally a fourth part, reflecting its original value as one quarter of a penny, while “worth” continues Old English weorþ in the sense of value. The formation parallels related monetary expressions such as “pennyworth,” with “fourth” providing a cognate within the history of “farthing.”
How farthingsworth is actually used
This is an archaic, exceptionally uncommon compound. In modern English, the clearer expressions are “a farthing's worth” and “not worth a farthing.”