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Glite Dictionary
Maundy money

Maundy money

9.9
Special silver coins a king or queen gives on Maundy Thursday during a royal ceremony
  • noun
  • /ˈmɔːndi ˈmʌni/
  • UK
translation icon : dinero de Maundy
  • Each year, the Queen distributes Maundy money to elderly recipients in a different cathedral.

Examples

  • Collectors prize Maundy money for its historical significance and silver content.

  • The tradition of giving Maundy money dates back to the reign of King Charles II.

  • The Queen distributes Maundy money every year.

  • Maundy money is a tradition in the UK.

  • Each year, the Queen distributes Maundy money to elderly recipients during a ceremonial event.

  • Collectors prize Maundy money because of its unique historical significance and silver content.

  • The tradition of Maundy money gifting can be traced back to King Charles II's reign in the 17th century.

Surface Forms

Maundy money singular
Maundy moneys plural

Morphology

Maundy + money

If a learner knows 'Maundy' as the name of the Maundy Thursday ceremony and 'money' as currency, they can infer that 'Maundy money' refers to money associated with that event (i.e. money given or used at Maundy). However, the specific cultural/historical details — that these are special silver coins minted and distributed by the monarch as part of a royal ceremony — are not predictable from the constituents alone, so full meaning requires extra cultural knowledge.

Etymology

Maundy money comes from an old church ceremony called Maundy or 'Maundy Thursday', when the king or queen would wash people's feet and give out small silver money to poor and elderly people as a sign of service. Because the ruler handed out these coins in that ceremony, 'Maundy money' today means the special silver coins given on that day.