Where does “dingus” come from?
dingus (English) comes from Dutch dinges, from Dutch dings, from Dutch ding, from Middle Dutch dinc, from Old Dutch thinc, from Proto-West Germanic þing, from Proto-Germanic þingą, from Proto-Indo-European tenkó- — to be solid, firm; to be suitable; to succeed,...
dingus (English): A gadget, device, or object whose name is either...
Definitions
- A gadget, device, or object whose name is either...
Ancestry of “dingus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | dinges | thingamajig, whatchamacallit; whatshisname,... |
| 2 | Dutch | dings | — |
| 3 | Dutch | ding | matter, thing |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | dinc | case, subject, what has been discussed; case;... |
| 5 | Old Dutch | thinc | thing, object |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | þing | court session, lawsuit; affair, matter; thing,... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | þingą | appointed time; date; appointment; meeting;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tenkó- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | tenk- | to be solid, firm; to be suitable; to succeed,... |