*þing

Reconstruction

Ringe and Taylor reconstruct *þing for Proto-West Germanic,^[1] and Wiktionary has the same form.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þingą (“assembly”), through Proto-Northwest Germanic *þingą "assembly, court session".^[1] Ringe and Taylor think the Verner's law alternation with *þinhaz, *þinhiz- "time, right time" shows that the word was inherited.^[1] Kroonen cites it as *þinga-, and Köbler gives *þenga-, *þinga- beside *þenha-.^[3][4] Kroonen takes the original meaning to have been perhaps "scheduled time", whence "assembly", "legal case" and "object".^[3]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[5][6]

Evidence

The noun is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English þing, Old Frisian thing, Old Saxon thing and Old High German ding,^[1] and Old Dutch thing in the Psalms of the 9th century.^[7] EWA connects the god's name ⟨Thingso⟩ in the dedication ⟨deo Marti Thingso⟩ on an altar at Hadrian's Wall, set up after 150 perhaps by Frisians.^[6] Kroonen relates Lombardic thinx (“legal procedure, assembly”), from *þinhsa-.^[3]

Meanings

1. court session^[1][2]
2. lawsuit^[1][2]
3. affair, matter^[1][2]
4. thing, object^[1][2]

Ringe and Taylor count the word among those whose meaning shifted dramatically in West Germanic: the daughters keep the whole range of Proto-West Germanic meanings, which show a development from "(appointed) time" through "court session", "lawsuit" and "affair, matter" to "(concrete) thing", like that of Latin causa (“court case, affair”) to French chose (“thing”).^[1] In Old High German the word first meant the general assembly of the people, then the court and the judgement, in philosophy "being" and "creature", and since the 11th century "object".^[6]

Derivatives

• *þingōn "to hold a meeting, to discuss", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[8] it is continued by Old English þingian, Old Frisian thingia (“to hold court”) and Old Saxon thingon.^[9][10]

Reflexes

• Old English: þing (“thing, matter, affair, cause, lawsuit, assembly, court”)^[11]
• Old Frisian: thing (“thing, court, lawsuit, matter, case, complaint”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: thing (“thing, matter, court, assembly”)^[5]
• Old Dutch: thing (“matter, thing”)^[7]
• Old High German: ding (“court, assembly, matter, thing”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 128
2. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þing
3. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 542
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þenga-
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thing
6. ^ a b c d 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
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thing
8. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þingōn
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þingian
10. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thingia
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þing
12. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thing