English
thin
Thin comes from Old English þynne, from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us ‘thin’, from *tenh₂- ‘to stretch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tenh₂-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ténh₂us‘thin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tn̥h₂wús‘thin’reconstructedvariant of *ténh₂us
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunnuz‘thin’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þunnī‘thin’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þynne‘thin’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thinne‘thin’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1627thin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tenh₂-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ténh₂us‘thin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tn̥h₂wús‘thin’reconstructedvariant of *ténh₂us
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunnuz‘thin’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þunnī‘thin’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þynne‘thin’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thinne‘thin’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1627thin
Earliest quotation: a. 1627, Francis Bacon, Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]: “Spain is a nation thin sown of people.”
The story
Also related to tenuous.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us
Today it means
adj Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tenh₂- / thin