Where does “thank” come from?
thank (Scots) comes from Middle English thanken, from Old English þancian, from Proto-Germanic þankōną, from Proto-Germanic þankaz, from Proto-Indo-European teng- — to think.
thank (Scots): to thank
Ancestry of “thank”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | thanken | — |
| 2 | Old English | þancian | to thank |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þankōną | to thank |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þankaz | thought; mind; consideration; remembrance;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | teng- | to think |