*þingą

Reconstruction

The word is *þingą in Wiktionary,^[1] the stem *þinga- in Kroonen,^[2] and *þenʒaz in Orel.^[3] Köbler gives *þenga-, *þinga- and *þenha-.^[4] LÄGLOS sets up *þenga-, later *þinga-, with Proto-Norse *þinga.^[5]

Etymology

Kroonen derives it from Proto-Indo-European *tenk- (“to be suitable”), from a preform *tenk-ó-, through the strong verb *þinhan- "to be suitable" (*þinhaną);^[2] Wiktionary has a PIE *tenkóm, likely from the same root.^[1]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[2][4] The variants with h reflect grammatical change: De Vries derives Gothic 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (þeihs, “time”) from *þenhaz,^[6] and Kroonen from a related *þinhsa-, which he also finds in Lombardic thinx (“legal procedure, assembly”).^[2]

Evidence

The word is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse þing, Old English þing, Old Frisian thing, Old Saxon thing and Old High German ding.^[2] Gothic has only the related Gothic 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (þeihs, “time, occasion”), which Orel and Köbler list as its Gothic reflex.^[3][7] EWA connects the god's name in the dative "deo Marti Thingso" on an altar inscription from Hadrian's Wall, set up after 150, perhaps by Frisians, and lists a runic Norwegian personal name of about 600 with it.^[8] Finnish tinka (“dispute, haggling”) is a loan from the Germanic word, taken after *þenga- had become *þinga-, possibly as late as Old Swedish times.^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen thinks the original meaning was "scheduled time", which became "assembly", "legal case" and "object".^[2] Wiktionary gives the same development, from "suitable time".^[1] Orel only calls the word probably connected with *þenxanan "to thrive", after Grienberger,^[3] and Köbler thinks the etymology unclear, perhaps from PIE *ten- "to stretch".^[4] De Vries puts it with Pokorny's root *tenk "to pull, stretch", but rather as a word for the technique of daubing a house wall with clay, with a development from "ring of men" to "assembly", "negotiation", "matter negotiated" and "thing"; after Trier, he takes 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (þeihs) as originally the time of the assembly.^[6]

Meanings

1. appointed time, date, appointment^[1][4]
2. meeting, assembly, council^[2][1][4]
3. case, matter, issue^[2][1]
4. thing, object^[2][1]

In Old High German the word first named the general assembly of the people, then the place of judgement and the verdict, and since the 11th century also an object.^[8] EWA compares the path of Old High German sahha and of French chose from Latin causa.^[8] The sense "fight" is found in Old High German, Old Frisian, Old English and Old Norse.^[8]

Derivatives

• *þingōną "to hold a meeting, to discuss", Orel's *þenʒōjanan.^[9][10]
• *Þinhsaz, a by-name, probably of *Tīwaz, "of the Thing", continued in Latin Thingsus.^[11]
• Compounds in Orel: *þenʒa-mannz "member of the assembly", *þenʒa-stađiz "place of the assembly", *þenʒa-xūsan "house of meeting".^[12][13][14]

Reflexes

• Gothic: only the related 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (þeihs, “time”)^[7]
• Old Norse: þing (“assembly, place of assembly, property”)^[6]
• Old English: þing (“thing, matter, cause, assembly, court”)^[15]
• Old Frisian: thing (“thing, court, lawsuit, matter”)^[16]
• Old Saxon: thing (“thing, court, assembly”)^[17]
• Old Dutch: thing (“matter, thing”)^[4]
• Old High German: ding (“assembly, court, matter, thing”)^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þingą
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 542
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þenʒaz
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þenga-
5. ^ a b Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 299
6. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þing
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þeihs
8. ^ a b c d e Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. ding
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þingōną
10. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þenʒōjanan
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *Þinhsaz
12. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þenʒa-mannz
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þenʒa-stađiz
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þenʒa-xūsan
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þing
16. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thing
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thing