Where does “thanks” come from?
Thanks descends from Middle English thanks, Old English þancas, and Proto-Germanic þankōs and þankaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots tong- and teng-.
thanks (English): Used to express appreciation or gratitude; plural...
Definitions
- Used to express appreciation or gratitude; plural...
Ancestry of “thanks”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | thanks | — |
| 2 | Old English | þancas | thanks |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þankōs | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þankaz | thought; mind; consideration; remembrance;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | teng- | to think |
Words derived from “thanks”