doit
UK[dɔɪt]US[dɔɪt]
n
A very small amount of money; a trifling sum.
n
A worthless or insignificant person or thing.
Etymology
The word 'doit' entered English in the late 16th century, borrowed directly from Dutch commerce. It originates from the Middle Dutch 'duit', which was the name for a specific copper coin of minimal value used in the Netherlands. The term's journey into English reflects the extensive trade and economic interactions between England and the Low Countries during the early modern period. Its meaning naturally extended from denoting a coin of little worth to signify any trifling amount or something considered utterly insignificant, capturing the concept of negligible value in both monetary and figurative senses.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword. It is derived from the Middle Dutch 'duit', the name of a small coin of low value. The functional role is that of a noun.
Examples
The old miser wouldn't spend a single doit on charity.
His opinion isn't worth a doit to anyone in the committee.
She argued over every doit in the contract, despite the trivial sums involved.