Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þingą

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From earlier Proto-Indo-European *tenkó-, likely from *tenk- (“to be suitable”) (compare *þinhaną (“to succeed”)), in which case the original meaning was "suitable time; scheduled time" then "assembly; issue, matter to discuss".[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈθiŋ.ɡɑ̃/

Noun

*þingą n[1]

appointed time; date; appointment
meeting; assembly, council
case, matter, issue (such as what is discussed at an assembly)
1. (by extension) thing, object

Inflection

neuter a-stemDeclension of *þingą (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*þingą	*þingō
vocative	*þingą	*þingō
accusative	*þingą	*þingō
genitive	þingas, þingis	*þingǫ̂
dative	*þingai	*þingamaz
instrumental	*þingō	*þingamiz

Alternative reconstructions

*þingaz, *þinhaz[2]

Derived terms

*þingahūsą
*þingamann-
*þingastadiz
*þingōną

Related terms

*þinhaną
*þinhsą
- Gothic: 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (þeihs, “occasion, time”)

Descendants

In most languages this word came to be used for objects in general. This is similar to the development of *sakō and also Latin rēs and causa (in Romance languages).

Proto-West Germanic: *þing
- Old English: þing, þinċġ, þingc
  - Middle English: thing, thinge, thyng
    - English: thing
    - Scots: thing, ting, hing
    - Yola: dhing
- Old Frisian: thing
  - West Frisian: ding
- Old Saxon: thing
  - Middle Low German: dink
    - German Low German: Ding
    - Plautdietsch: Dinkj
- Old Dutch: thing
  - Middle Dutch: dinc
    - Dutch: ding
      - Afrikaans: ding
      - Berbice Creole Dutch: dinggi
      - Jersey Dutch: däng
    - Limburgish: dink, ding
- Old High German: ding, dinc, dink, thing
  - Middle High German: ding
    - Cimbrian: ding
    - German: Ding
    - Luxembourgish: Déngen
    - Pennsylvania German: Ding
Old Norse: þing
- Icelandic: þing
- Faroese: ting
- Norn: ting
- Norwegian Nynorsk: ting
- Old Swedish: þing
  - Swedish: ting
- Old Danish: þing, thing
  - Danish: ting
    - Norwegian Bokmål: ting
- Gutnish: tingg
- → German: Thing
→ Proto-Samic:
- Southern Sami: digkie
- Northern Sami: diggi
- Lule Sami: tigge
- Skolt Sami: teʹǧǧ

References

Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*þinga-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 542
Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*þenʒaz ~ *þenxaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 420

[kroonen-1] Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*þinga-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 542

[2] Orel, Vladimir (2003), “*þenʒaz ~ *þenxaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 420