The 'Pen' Is More Versatile Than the Sword

Rob Kyff
Tue, 05 May 2026 23:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Did you know that there's no "pen" in "pencil," no "penalty" in "penitentiary" and no "penny" in "penurious"?

Yes, folks, "pen" is a sly little trickster. Perhaps no other English syllable boasts such devilishly diverse derivations.

"Pen," meaning a writing implement, comes from "penna," the Latin word for wing or feather, because some of the first writing implements were quill pens, made by sharpening the shaft of a feather and then dipping it into ink.
Updated: Wed May 06, 2026

Did you know that there's no "pen" in "pencil," no "penalty" in "penitentiary" and no "penny" in "penurious"?

Yes, folks, "pen" is a sly little trickster. Perhaps no other English syllable boasts such devilishly diverse derivations.

"Pen," meaning a writing implement, comes from "penna," the Latin word for wing or feather, because some of the first writing implements were quill pens, made by sharpening the shaft of a feather and then dipping it into ink.

(I can't help recalling Hollywood mogul Sam Goldwyn's declaration after one of his 18th-century costume movies bombed: "No more pictures where they write with feathers!")

But, surprisingly, "pencil" derives, not from "penna," but from the Latin root "penicillus" (little brush). In fact, when "pencil" entered English, it meant not a writing tool, but an artist's paintbrush.

And when a blue mold was discovered during the 1800s, it was named "penicillium"; later, the antibiotic acid produced by the mold was dubbed "penicillin."

— Cattle pens and state pens: The enclosure for animals comes from the Old English "penn." But the "pen" that means an enclosure for human prisoners is unrelated to that word. It's a shortening of "penitentiary," derived from the Latin "paenitere" (to cause or feel regret). Thus, a penitentiary is a place where someone "repents," is "penitent" and does "penance," all words derived from "paenitere."

— Penalty box: Because "penal" and "penalty" are associated with penitence, you might guess these words also derive from "paenitere." In fact, they come from the Latin "poena" (penalty).

— Penny pinching: Our coppery coin comes from the Old English "penig" (akin to the Old German "pfenning"). But, surprisingly, "penury," meaning "poverty" or "stinginess," has nothing to do with "penig." It comes from the Latin "penuria" (want).

— Penetrating pentagonal pendulums: "Penetrate" derives from the Latin "penitus" (deeply); "pentagon" from the Greek "penta" (five); and "pendulum" from the Latin "pendere" (to hang).

"Pendere" also lies behind "pensive" (thinking heavy, hanging thoughts), "pension" (a payment that hangs over the organization paying it), and "penthouse" (originally a structure hanging on or appended to a larger building).

Almost finished. The Latin word "paena" means "almost," so we have "peninsula" (almost an island), "penumbra" (almost a shadow) and "penultimate" (almost the last).

What's the most versatile syllable in English? Oh, "pen," says me.