Where does “wensdenken” come from?
wensdenken (Dutch) comes from Dutch denken, from Middle Dutch denken, from Old Dutch thenken, from Proto-West Germanic þankijan, from Proto-Germanic þankijaną, from Proto-Indo-European teng- — to think.
wensdenken (Dutch): wishful thinking
Ancestry of “wensdenken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | denken | to think |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | denken | to think |
| 3 | Old Dutch | thenken | to think |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þankijan | to think |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þankijaną | to perceive, to think |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | teng- | to think |