*þingōn

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *þingōn "to hold a meeting, to address, to discuss" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þingōną (“to hold a meeting, to discuss”),^[2] which Köbler writes *þengōn "to fix by contract".^[3] Wiktionary analyses it as *þing with the suffix *-ōn,^[1] and Boutkan and Siebinga call the Old Frisian verb a weak class II formation to the noun.^[4] Ringe and Taylor trace Proto-West Germanic *þing "court session, lawsuit, thing" to Proto-Northwest Germanic *þingą "assembly, court session", with a development of meaning from "(appointed) time" to "court session".^[5]

Morphology

A weak verb of class II.^[6][7][4]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English þingian,^[8] Old Frisian thingia,^[9] Old Saxon thingon, in the Heliand and in a gloss on Latin cōntiōnor that Köbler assigns to Old Saxon with doubt,^[6] and Old High German dingōn, from glosses of the end of the 8th century.^[7] Wiktionary gives only an unattested Old Dutch form.^[1] Old Norse has þinga.^[3]

Meanings

1. to hold a meeting^[1]
2. to address, to discuss^[1]

In Old Frisian the verb was legal: "to hold court, to judge, to litigate, to sue",^[9] Old English used it for "to intercede, to reconcile, to decide",^[8] and Old High German for "to speak, to negotiate, to plead in court, to agree".^[7]

Reflexes

• Old English: þingian (“to ask, to intercede, to reconcile, to decide, to address”)^[8]
• Old Frisian: thingia (“to hold court, to judge, to litigate, to sue”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: thingon (“to negotiate, to plead”)^[6]
• Old High German: dingōn (“to speak, to negotiate, to plead in court, to agree, to hold court”)^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þingōn
2. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þingōną
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þengōn
4. ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. thingia
5. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 128
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. thingon
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dingōn
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þingian
9. ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. thingia