Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “þæġn” come from?

þæġn (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic *þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.

Ancestry of “þæġn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic*þegn—
2Proto-Germanicþegnazretainer, servant
3Proto-Indo-Europeanteḱ-to sire, beget

Words derived from “þæġn”

  • thane
  • thegn
  • thegnhood
  • thanedom
  • thanage
  • thaneship
  • thaneland
  • thanehood
  • thegndom
  • thane
  • þein
  • thein
  • thane
  • theign
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- →