Scherflein

German thumb|A Scherf coin from 16th century Hamburg Etymology Diminutive of Scherf, from de gmh scherf, scherpf a coin of small value, esp. a halfpenny, from de goh scerf, ultimately from de gem-pro *skrapōną to scratch.Cf. 'Scherf' in Grimm's Dictionary. http://woerterbuchnetz.de/cgi-bin/WBNetz/wbgui_py?sigle=DWB&mode=Vernetzung&lemid=GS07009#XGS07009 Related to modern de Scherbe shard and de gmh scharben to notch, to nick (from de goh scarbōn, cognate with ang sceorfan to gnaw, to bite), because the coins were originally notched so they could be broken up for payment when needed. Introduced by Luther as a translation for the grc λεπτόν small coin in Mark 12:42. Pronunciation de /ˈʃɛɐ̯flaɪ̯n/ de De-Scherflein.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>) Noun n widow's mite, i.e. a small donation or contribution, esp. of monetary kind. de Hermann und Dorothea Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1798 schon von dem ersten bericht so groszer leiden gerühret,/ schickten wir eilend ein scherflein von unserm überflusz, dasz nur/ einige würden gestärkt, und schienen uns selber beruhigt. Usage notes In contemporary usage, mostly used in the idiomatic expression sein/ihr Scherflein (zu etwas) beitragen ("to contribute one's mite (to something)"). Declension n References Further reading skrepan