Etymograph

English

thank

Thank comes from Middle English thanken ‘to express gratitude, give thanks’, from Proto-Germanic *þankaz ‘thought’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tóng-o-s.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tóng-o-sreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þankaz‘thought’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þankōną‘to thank’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þankōn‘to thank’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150þancian‘to thank’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thanken‘to express gratitude’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1564thank

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tóng-o-sreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þankaz‘thought’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þankōną‘to thank’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þankōn‘to thank’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150þancian‘to thank’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thanken‘to express gratitude’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1564thank

Earliest quotation: 1564, Erasmus, The Saiynges of Diogenes the Cynike: “[H]aſt thou no ſhame to deſpiſe that perſone, to…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *tóng-o-s

Today it means

verb To express appreciation or gratitude toward (someone or something).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tóng-o-s / thank

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