Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “thane” come from?

Thane comes from Middle English þein, from Old English þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European tek-.

thane (English): A rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly...

Definitions

  1. A rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly...

Ancestry of “thane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Marathiठाणेpost, station; police station
2Old Marathiठाणें—
3Maharastri Prakrit𑀞𑀸𑀡place; position
4Sanskritस्थानthe act of standing, standing firmly, being fixed...
5Paliṭhānaplace; state, -hood; reason
6Sanskritस्तनthe female breast , teat, dug, udder; the nipple;...
7Proto-Indo-Iranianpstánasbreast; teat, nipple
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpstḗnbreast, teat
9Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂ǵ-sth₂-ḗn—
10Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “thane”

  • thegn
  • thegnhood
  • thanedom
  • thanage
  • thaneship
  • thaneland
  • thanehood
  • thegndom
  • thane
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →