Where does “thanksgiving” come from?
Thanksgiving comes from English give, derived from Old Norse gefa, from Proto-Germanic þankaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European teng-, meaning to stretch or extend.
thanksgiving (English): An expression of gratitude; A short prayer said...
Definitions
- An expression of gratitude; A short prayer said...
Ancestry of “thanksgiving”, step by step
thanksgiving traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English giving
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | giving | present participle of give; having the tendency... |
| 2 | English | give | To move, shift, provide something abstract or... |
| 3 | English | foregive | To give ahead of time; give in advance |
| 4 | English | fore- | Positioned at or near the front; Before; ahead or... |
| 5 | English | Fore | A people of Papua New Guinea |
| 6 | German | Fahr | — |
| 7 | German | Fähre | ferry |
| 8 | Middle High German | verren | — |
| 9 | Old High German | ferrana | from afar |
| 10 | Old High German | ferro | afar; skipper |
| 11 | Proto-West Germanic | *ferrō | — |
| 12 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |