Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “thank” come from?

thank (Middle English) comes from Old English þanc, from Proto-Germanic þankaz, from Proto-Indo-European teng- — to think.

Ancestry of “thank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishþancthanks; thought
2Proto-Germanicþankazthought; mind; consideration; remembrance;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanteng-to think

Words derived from “thank”

  • thank
  • thanker
  • thank-you
  • sankyu
  • rethank
  • thank you
  • bethank
  • thanksome
  • thankly
  • thank you card
  • 三Q
  • サンキュー
  • tenkyu tru
  • tenkyu
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teng- →