Picayune

Picayune

A picayune was a Spanish coin, worth half a real. Its name derives from the French "picaillon", which is itself from the Provençal "picaioun", meaning "small coin." By extension, can mean "trivial" or "of little value."

Aside from being used in Spanish territories, the picayune and other Spanish currency was used throughout colonial America. Spanish dollars were made legal tender in the United States by an act on February 9, 1793 until it was demonetized on February 21, 1857. [Spanish Silver: General Introduction [http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Sp-Silver.intro.html Coin and Currency Collections - University of Notre Dame] , Retrieved on April 7, 2008] The coin's name first appeared in Florida and Louisiana where its value was worth approximately six and a quarter cents, and whose name was sometimes used in place of the U.S. nickel.Picayune, [http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/browse/JP.HTM Probert Encyclopedia] , Retrieved on April 10, 2008] [Picayune, [http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-pic2.htm World Wide Words] , Retrieved on April 8, 2008]

References


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  • Picayune — ist der Name einer spanischen Münze, siehe Picayune (Münze) einer Stadt in den USA, siehe Picayune (Mississippi) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Picayune — Picayune, MS U.S. city in Mississippi Population (2000): 10535 Housing Units (2000): 4568 Land area (2000): 11.763019 sq. miles (30.466079 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.040986 sq. miles (0.106154 sq. km) Total area (2000): 11.804005 sq. miles… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Picayune, MS — U.S. city in Mississippi Population (2000): 10535 Housing Units (2000): 4568 Land area (2000): 11.763019 sq. miles (30.466079 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.040986 sq. miles (0.106154 sq. km) Total area (2000): 11.804005 sq. miles (30.572233 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Picayune — Pic a*yune , n. [From the language of the Caribs.] A small coin of the value of six and a quarter cents. See {Fippenny bit}. [Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • picayune — index inconsequential, insubstantial, minor, negligible, petty, trivial Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • picayune — (n.) 1804, coin of small value, probably from Louisiana Fr. picaillon coin worth 5 cents, earlier the French name of an old copper coin of Savoy (1750), from Prov. picaioun small copper coin, from picaio money, of uncertain origin …   Etymology dictionary

  • picayune — [adj] trivial diminutive, everyday, frivolous, immaterial, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, irrelevant, little, meager, mean, meaningless, minor, minute, negligible, nonessential, of no account*, paltry, petty,… …   New thesaurus

  • picayune — ☆ picayune [pik′ə yo͞on΄, pik΄ə yo͞on′ ] n. [Fr picaillon, small coin, halfpenny < Prov picaioun < picaio, money, prob. < pica, to ring, jingle, strike < VL * piccare: see PICADOR] 1. a coin of small value, as a former Spanish half… …   English World dictionary

  • picayune — picayunishly, adv. picayunishness, n. /pik ee yoohn , pik euh /, adj. Also, picayunish. Informal. 1. of little value or account; small; trifling: a picayune amount. 2. petty, carping, or prejudiced: I didn t want to seem picayune by criticizing.… …   Universalium

  • picayune — 1. adjective /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/lang=en a) Petty, trivial; of little consequence; small and of little importance; picayunish; It might seem like a picayune matter, akin to the rivalry in the film Monty Pythons Life of Brian between the Judean Peoples… …   Wiktionary

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