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

Definitions

  1. to thank

Ancestry of “thank”, step by step

thank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English thanken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishthanken—
2Old Englishþancianto thank
3Proto-Germanicþankōnąto thank
4Proto-Germanicþankazthought; mind; consideration; remembrance;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanteng-to think

via Old English þanc

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishþancthanks; thought

Words derived from “thank”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European teng- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þankaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic þankōną →