From what word does the name penny come from? The origin of the words "penny" and "ruble. See what a "penny" is in other dictionaries

Every day we pronounce hundreds and thousands of different words. But we do not often think about the real, original meaning and history of their origin. But in vain! Each word has its own fascinating and interesting past. Here, for example, is the name of paper bills and coins that we all use almost every day. We pay with them in shops, transport, on the market. This article is about money! Or rather, about their "past": we will consider the origin of the word "penny", what were the varieties of this coin. We will also study the main theories of its appearance.

The history of the origin of the word "penny"

Apparently, but no one can say for sure where this seemingly simple word came from! No historian or etymologist.

And meanwhile, after all, this is the oldest one that was in Russia. Kopek is more than three hundred years old - this is a very respectable age. This word was minted on a coin in 1704. And since then there have been a lot of varieties of it: Russian, Elizabethan or Soviet.

So what is the history of the origin of the word "penny"? There are four versions, four theories, about which etymologists are still arguing among themselves.

But first things first.

Version one

During the Golden Horde, in 1414, Khan Kepek lived and ruled. He decided to carry out a monetary reform, as a result of which a new monetary unit was introduced. According to the new rules, coins weighing more than 8 grams were called dinars, and those with a smaller weight were called dirhems.

Very soon, the silver dinars of the khan began to be called caps among the people. The Russian princes, in the Mongolian manner, also began to call the money of their own coinage kepeks.

Version two

In 1535, Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya (mother of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible) decided to eliminate the right of the princes to mint their own coins. The objective of this reform was the unification of monetary circulation in Russia and the introduction of a single monetary system, which would include only rubles and kopecks. All the rest, foreign and assorted princely coins, were ordered to be melted down.

After that, the minting of "new" coins began. Under Elena Glinskaya, small silver coins with a small mass, on the obverse of which a horseman with a spear was depicted, gained particular popularity. Perhaps this was the reason for the origin of the word penny - from the word "spear". After all, there were once in the image of a warrior with a saber - sabers, who got their name from the word "saber".

As a rider on a penny, according to some sources, the creators meant the king, since on the obverse of the coin he is wearing a crown. According to others, this is Prince Vasily. According to third sources, this is George the Victorious, who struck the Serpent.

Version three

There is also other information about the origin of the word "penny". The famous Russian writer and ethnographer - Vladimir Ivanovich Dal in his explanatory dictionary indicates that the word "penny" is a derivative of the word "save".

But this theory meets with many objections and a logical question: why then was not all money in Russia called kopecks?

Version four

It belongs to the Orientalists. Once, in the time of Timur, there was a Turkic coin - kyopak, on the obverse of which a lion's head was minted. The image was fuzzy and the lion looked more like a dog.

Perhaps the origin of the word "penny" is connected with this story. After all, the Turkic word "kepak" is translated as "dog".

With the origin of the word "penny" figured out. Now I would like to talk about the varieties of this small change, which was found on Russian soil at different times, under different rulers.

Let's talk about them.

Kopek of Peter the Great

After the financial crisis that overtook Russia at the end of the 17th century, the great sovereign decided to reorganize the country's monetary system. The reform of the decimal monetary system was introduced gradually, for about 15 years.

Coins were issued that were less than a penny at face value - money, half, half half. The denomination for literate people was indicated by a word, and for illiterate people by special signs - dots and dashes.

Kopek of Elizabeth the First

It was released in 1726, became the largest penny in history and had a mass of 20.5 grams. The shape of this coin was square, and its size was 23 x 23 mm.

She was copper. The people called it "cloud".

Kopek Nicholas II

After World War I, a crisis began in the country. There was a severe shortage of silver and copper. Therefore, the government decided to carry out a new monetary reform: the issuance of "lightweight" paper money. This is how the paper coin was born.

USSR penny

It was issued in 1924 in a small edition, the material for its production was coin blanks left over from 1868-1917.

The Soviet penny had a weight of 1 gram; 2, 3, 5 kopecks - 2, 3, 5 grams, respectively. Despite the low purchasing power, the cost of this coin was quite high. For example, if a metal ruble cost the state 16 kopecks when minted, then one copper kopeck cost 8 kopecks.

penny

National coins in Russia appeared at the end of the 10th century. Grand Duke Vladimir I began minting his own silver and gold coins. The minting of its own coins lasted two centuries. This was followed by a long break, and only in 1385 Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy resumed minting Russian coins. The silver ones were called denga, the copper ones were called pulo. In 1534, in Russia, Elena Glinskaya, the mother of the young Ivan IV Vasilyevich "The Terrible", carried out a monetary reform. The goal was to ban all old Russian and foreign coins, and replace them with a new coin - a penny.

Russian coins of that time had an irregular shape, as they were minted on flattened pieces of silver wire. Because of this, oblong plates were obtained, on which the inscription of the front side and the drawing of the back were knocked out, because of the characteristic shape in numismatics, such coins are called "flakes". The new kopeck depicted a horseman with a spear, and in this it differed from the old Moscow money, which depicted a horseman with a saber. The name of this coin comes from the word “spear”: initially, on the obverse of the penny, St. George the Victorious was depicted, striking the Serpent with a spear.

Ruble

The ruble is the main Russian currency. The name "ruble" originated in the 13th century. in the northwestern Russian lands and denoted the main monetary unit, later the name of the monetary unit was assigned to it. In the XIII century. the ruble was a silver ingot up to 20 cm long and weighing about 200 g, which looked like a “cut”, which is why it got its name. With the advent of coinage of silver money in the XV century. the ruble has become a counting monetary unit, the ruble has become equal to 100 kopecks. In 1704 the regular minting of the silver ruble began. Copper and gold rubles were also minted. Since 1843, the ruble began to be issued in the form of a paper treasury bill.

KOPEYKA
Origin, etymology:

penny

initial "silver coin", minted since 1535; produced from novgor. money (see); appeared in Moscow after the conquest of Novgorod (1478). She wears an image of a king on horseback with a spear in his hand (1535–1719); see Bauer in Schrötter 317; cf. Novgorod. 2 summer. under 1535: that the Grand Duke ordered "new money to be traded with a copy"; see Sobolevsky, RFV 22, 291. Thus, one can only speak of a derivative of spear; see Sobolevsky, ibid.; IRYA 2, 347; Mi. EW 128; Brückner, KZ 48, 173. Brandt (RFV 22, 140), who reconstructs *kopěya, allegedly connected with kopiʹ, has no grounds for doubting this etymology; cf. Bernecker 1, 566. The explanation from the Türkic is also less probable. köräk (köpägi) "certain coin" (Erdman u Korsh, AfslPh 9, 517; Lokoch 96), dinār körejī "coin of Timur's time", and the name "dog, canine" refers to the minted image of a lion. Russian the word has spread widely, for example. new-Greek καπίκι – the name of the coin (see G. Mayer, Ngr. Stud. 2, 30), cf. korken, korreken "small coin" (Sh.–L. 3, 529). Wed also Greek. ὀβολός "skewer" and "coin, obol".

(The erroneous Türkic etymology is repeated by Golub - Kopechny, p. 179. Regarding the history of the word, see also Ryadchenko, "Proceedings of the Odessa Univ.", Vol. 147, 1957, p. 152. - T.)

Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. Vasmer Max

Meaning:

Russian small coin, equal to 1/100 ruble. It was minted from 1535 to 1718 from silver, from 1704 from copper. In the 16-17 centuries. the kopeck was most often called Novgorodka. In the USSR it was minted in 1924-26 from copper, since 1926 from a copper-zinc alloy.

S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language

penny

Meaning:

KOPEYKA, -and, f. A small coin, a hundredth of a ruble. K. saves the ruble(last). Know the penny count(be frugal). K. for a penny(when counting money: absolutely exactly; colloquial). sit without a penny(completely without money). Spend every penny. Not a penny(no money at all). A penny is worth something.(very cheap). Life for non-gods.(translated: worth nothing).

| reduce penny, -i, f.

Cost a pretty penny (fly in, get up)(colloquial) costly. The dacha flew into a pretty penny.

In the white light like a pretty penny(colloquial joke.) about actions at random, without any purpose, usually unsuccessful.

| adj. penny sh, th, th. Coin, mark.

Small academic dictionary of the Russian language

penny

Meaning:

AND, genus. pl. -peek, dates-paykam, well.

A monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a ruble, as well as a small coin of this denomination. -

Give ten kopecks of soda! says the doctor. Chekhov, Pharmacist.

The stamps were at different prices: a kopeck, three kopecks, five kopecks. Kataev, Electric machine.

2. collected Razg.

Money, cash.

Protect the people's penny.

(Father Paklin) managed estates, houses and made a penny. Turgenev, Nov.

Possibly, the complaints about Kondrin are due to the fact that he tries to keep a penny firmly in his hands and is pedantic in his calculations. Azhaev Far from Moscow.

- without a penny of money - without a penny - to the last penny - to the penny - for a penny - not a penny - not a penny for the soul - not a penny - not a single penny - not a penny - not a penny -

What is the origin of the words "penny" and "ruble"?

A common interpretation of the name speaks of its origin from the word “spear”: initially, George the Victorious was depicted on the obverse of the penny, striking the Serpent with a spear. But Vladimir Dal, in his explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language, published in 1881, is of a different opinion, putting forward the version that the penny came from the word "save" money. However, in this case, it is not clear why this particular type of coins was called a “penny”, although along with them in Russia there were such monetary units as money, pullo, etc.

There is a version that the origin of the word "penny" is associated with the coins of Khan Kepek (Kebek). After the monetary reform carried out by the Khan in the 1320s, silver dinars weighing 8 grams appeared, which differed from the previously issued dinars in value. In everyday life, they received a special name - "Kepek dinar" (that is, the dinars of Khan Kepek). These "caps" were widespread in Russia. And the Russian princes began to call small coins of their own coinage with the same word.

This version is supported by the fact that the coins of Khan Kepek are a common find during archaeological excavations on the territory of medieval Russian settlements. Also, the word "penny" is found in chronicles much earlier than the appearance of the first coins depicting St. George.

However, this version cannot be taken seriously, because the name of the denomination of a penny began to take root with difficulty in Russia since the monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya 1535-1538, when Khan Kepek (1320) had long been forgotten and his money did not go around Russia. Finally, the penny was strengthened in the vocabulary only by the end of the 17th century. For the first time this word was minted as a face value on a coin only in 1704.

At first, a penny was called Novgorod money with the image of a spearman. By the way, there were also sabers - Moscow money with the image of a rider with a saber. But it was precisely the weight of the Novgorod money that was equal to 1/100 of the ruble, so its name became widespread.
According to one version, the word "ruble" as a monetary unit comes from the word hack. Historically, the concept of "ruble" arose in the 13th century in Novgorod, where the "ruble" was understood as one of the parts of a hryvnia cut in half (a silver ingot weighing about 200 grams). According to another version, the name was obtained because of the seam on the edge of the ingot, due to the peculiarities of the technology, according to which silver was poured into the mold in two stages. The root "rub" means edge, border, seam. Thus, the term ruble meant "an ingot with a seam." In favor of the latest version, studies speak, according to which the weight of the silver hryvnia and the ruble was the same.

Fasmer's etymological dictionary about the origin of the word ruble says: "ruble" stump, plug "; "name of the monetary unit", (in written sources) from 1316, instead of hryvnia,

penny

Kopemika (obsolete form: kopey coin) is a bargaining chip of Russia, Belarus, Transnistria (1/100 ruble), Ukraine (1/100 hryvnia), Azerbaijan (gyapik, Azerbaijani q?pik, 1/100 manat). Also in the Russian Empire until 1917, on the Don and Kuban in 1918, in Lithuania in 1991, Belarus (1992) and other issuers (Trust Arktikugol, Vneshtorgbank - 1961) issued paper tickets in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15 , 20, 25, 50 kopecks.

Etymology

At first, a penny was called "Novgorodka" - Novgorod money with the image of a spearman. Later, the coinage was transferred to Moscow, there were also sabers - “Muscovites”, Moscow money with the image of a rider with a saber (saber). But it was precisely the weight of the Novgorod money that was equal to 1/100 of the ruble, so its name became widespread.

There is a version that the Grand Duke himself was depicted on a horse, since the rider carries a crown - a symbol of royal power. And earlier, the saber money of Ivan III Vasilyevich and Vasily Ivanovich depicted the princes themselves - issuers. According to the chronicler:

The same summer 7043 (1535), the sovereign, the great prince Ivan Vasilyevich of all Russia, in the third year of his state, ... ordered new silver money to be made in his name, without any admixture from the hryvnia and (h) rock three hundred money of Novgorod, and in the Moscow number three rubles Moscow is equal to ... and under Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich, there was a banner on money, the prince is great on horseback, and having a sword in his hand, and Prince Ivan Vasilyevich is great, make a banner on money, the prince is great on horseback, and having a spear in his hand, henceforth nicknamed spear money .

It follows that the new Moscow kopek denga by weight corresponded to the old denga minted in Novgorod (Vremen of Vasily III Ivanovich, also saber, with the title "Ospodar of All Russia"), and the Moscow new saber denga was minted according to the old Moscow weight norm.

But Vladimir Dal, in his explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language, published in 1881, is of a different opinion, putting forward the version that the penny came from the word "save" money. However, in this case, it is not clear why this particular type of coins was called a “penny”, although along with them in Russia there were such monetary units as money, pullo and others.

There is a version that the origin of the word "penny" is associated with the coins of Khan Kepek (Kebek). After the monetary reform carried out by the Khan in the 1320s, silver dinars weighing 8 grams appeared, which differed from the previously issued dinars in value. In everyday life, they received a special name - "Kepek dinar" (that is, the dinars of Khan Kepek). According to a number of historians, these "caps" allegedly began to be called by the same word.

Against this version is the fact that the coins of Khan Kepek are practically not found in archaeological excavations on the territory of medieval Russian settlements. Therefore, this version cannot be taken seriously, since the name of the denomination of a penny began to take root with difficulty in Russia since the monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya 1535--1538, when Khan Kepek (1320) had long been forgotten and his money did not go around Russia. Finally, the penny was strengthened in the vocabulary only by the end of the 17th century. For the first time this word was minted as a face value on a coin only in 1704.