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þing. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
þing, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
þing in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
þing you have here. The definition of the word
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Icelandic
Etymology
From Old Norse þing (“assembly, council, business”), in turn from Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Cognate with Faroese ting, Norwegian ting, Swedish ting, and Danish ting, English thing, Dutch ding, German Ding, and an unattested Gothic *𐌸𐌹𐌲𐌲 (*þigg).[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
þing n (genitive singular þings, nominative plural þing)
- assembly, meeting, council
- parliament
Declension
Declension of þing (neuter)
Derived terms
References
Old Danish
Etymology
From Old Norse þing, from Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Noun
þing n (genitive þings, plural þing)
- (Scania) assembly, council
- c. 1210, "Uil bryti skilias", Scanian Law, chapter 231.
[…] þa fari brytin til tuiggia þinga […]- then the bailiff must attend two assemblies
Declension
Declension of þing (Scanian system)
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singular
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plural
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indefinite
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definite
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indefinite
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definite
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nominative
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þing
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þingit
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þing
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þingin
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accusative
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þing
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þingit
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þing
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þingin
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dative
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þingi
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þinginu
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þingum
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þingunum
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genitive
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þings
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þingsins
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þinga
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þinganna
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The declension is unstable and should be treated as a guide. The case system was gradually being simplified from four to two cases. Even some nominative markers were sporadically kept in the Scanian dialect, although they mostly were replaced with the accusative endings from Old Norse.
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Descendants
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *þing, from Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Pronunciation
Noun
þing, þinġ n[1]
- thing
- matter, concern
- event, meeting, court
- case
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Clement the Martyr"
Wén is þæt eower sum cweðe to him sylfum on stillum geðohtum, Hwæt forleton has gebroðru, Petrus and Andreas, þe for nean nán ðing næfdon? ac we sceolon on þisum ðinge heora gewilnunge swiðor āsmēaġan þonne heora gestreon.- It is to be expected that one of you in his still thoughts say to himself, What did the brothers, Peter and Andrew, leave, who had almost nothing? but in this case we should rather consider their desire than their possession.
- reason
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Epiphany of the Lord"
For ðisum þrym ðingum is ðes freols-dæg Godes swutelung gecweden."- For these three reasons this festival is called the Manifestation of God."
- means
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Seven Sleepers"
...ac mē tōdæġ swā wundorlīce is ġelumpen þæt ic þurh nān þincg ne mæġ ġecnāwan hwæðer þys sȳ Ephesa byriġ þe elles ǣniġ ōþer;...- But to-day it has befallen me so wonderfully that I cannot by any means recognise whether this be the city of the Ephesians or else any other.
Declension
Strong a-stem:
Strong a-stem:
Descendants
References
- ^ R. D. Fulk (2014) An Introductory Grammar of Old English, published 2020, page 104:
As for g after n, this is affricated, like c, only after i or a vowel that has undergone front mutation, as with nom.-acc. sg. þinġ ‘thing’ and menġan ‘mingle’ (from *mangjan); but affrication after -in- is prevented by a following back vowel: cf. singan. Presumably affrication also failed in nom.-acc. pl. þing < *þingu, but it may have been restored by analogy, though this cannot be known for certain.
Old Norse
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Pronunciation
- (12th century Icelandic) IPA(key): /ˈθĩŋɡ/
Noun
þing n (genitive þings, plural þing)
- a legal assembly
- thing, a regional parliament of nearby clans, traditionally headed by an elected jarl
- a multi-regional parliament, with representatives from several þing
- a tryst
Declension
Declension of þing (strong a-stem)
Descendants