dank

Forms

dank m (uncountable, no diminutive)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch danc, inherited from Old Dutch thank, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þankaz (“thought; thanks”).^[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon thank, Old High German danc (modern German Dank), Old Frisian thonk (modern West Frisian tank), Old English þanc (modern English thanks, a plural), Old Norse þǫkk (modern Swedish tack) and Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐍃 (þagks).^[2][3][4][5]

The noun is a verbal noun belonging to Proto-Germanic *þankjan-, the verb that became denken “to think”, and its first meaning was “thinking, a thought; the will”.^[2][4][6][7] From “a favourable thought” it came to mean “a grateful thought” and so “gratitude”.^[2] Kroonen takes the Germanic stem back to a Proto-Indo-European ⟨*tong-o-⟩, and Wiktionary to a root Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to think, feel”).^[3][1]

The verb danken “to thank”, Old Dutch thancan, was formed in its turn from the noun, as thankon, dancōn and þancian were in the related languages.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest trace is the Old Dutch genitive thankis in the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms, in thia hatodon mi thankis “who hated me without cause”, where it renders Latin “for nothing”.^[8][2] The ONW thinks it may be a loan translation of Latin gratis, itself from the word for thanks, though it could also come from the older sense “will”.^[8] Middle Dutch danc “gratitude” is first recorded around 1240, in a Limburg glossary.^[2][9][5]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch danc still meant “thought” and, above all, “will, wish”, besides “thanks, reward, praise”.^[10][4][6] The will sense lived in phrases: an sinen danc and sonder sinen danc meant “against his will”, and a Bruges guild rule of 1284 speaks of an apprentice leaving sonder smesters danc, without his master's consent.^[9][2] Enes dankes meant “of one's own free will”.^[9] The WNT notes that met and tegen iemands dank were once very common and were still used in the south, while the sense “will, inclination” had dropped out of general use.^[11] It survives in tegen wil en dank “against one's will”.^[2]

Today the word means gratitude towards someone from whom one has received some good.^[12][13] The short thanking formulas dank je and dank u travelled with Dutch speakers: Papiamentu and Sranan Tongo have danki, Sranan also tangi, and forms such as danki and dankye are used in Ambonese, Kupang and Manado Malay.^[14][1] Negerhollands had dank and danki for gratitude, which the Creole English of the Virgin Islands took over as danki.^[14][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch thankis “for nothing” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[8][15]
• c. 1100 – The verb thancan “to thank” in the Leiden Willeram.^[2]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch danc “gratitude”.^[2][5]
• 1284 – Sonder smesters danc “without the master's consent” in Bruges.^[2][9]
• c. 1300 – Danc in the sense “thought”.^[2]
• 1530 – Te danke dienen, to serve a lady in hope of her favour.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. gratitude, thanks: Ze heeft hem haar dank betuigd.^[12][13][1]
2. A sign or token of recognition.^[1]
3. A reward or recompense.^[1]

Word family

• danken
• dankbaar
• dankloos
• dankwoord
• dankzeggen
• dankzegging
• dankbetoon
• dankbetuiging
• ondank
• ondanks
• bedanken

Related words

• denken
• gedachte
• English thank
• German Dank

Usage notes

Geen dank is the polite reply to thanks, and iets niet in dank afnemen means to take something amiss.^[13] Iemand dank weten, to be grateful to someone, has been common since the Middle Ages;^[16] Stoett thinks it probably imitates Greek charin eidenai.^[16] Van der Sijs explains it as a translation of French savoir gré à quelqu’un.^[17] The proverb ondank is 's werelds loon “ingratitude is the world's reward” has a German twin, and the coarser stank voor dank says the same.^[16][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 97
6. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
8. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ a b c d Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ a b Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
13. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
16. ^ a b c Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
17. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale