things
/θɪŋz/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*thingą — assembly, council, or case brought to court
Overview
Meaning Now
- Plural of thing; inanimate objects, items, or material entities.
- Events, occurrences, or phenomena.
- Abstract concepts, matters, or subjects under consideration.
Literal older meaning
Something brought together for a gathering or assembly.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
þing
Earliest period
8th century
Journey
The word originally referred to a meeting of a governing body or a judicial assembly (as seen in the modern Nordic 'Storting' or 'Althing'). Over centuries, the 'matter discussed' at an assembly became synonymous with 'thing', shifting from a specific legal context to a general term for any object.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*thingą
“gathering or public assembly”
Original meaning related to a meeting for legal affairs.
- Old English
þing
“thing, object, affair, or legal action”
Expanded from 'assembly' to include 'what is discussed at an assembly'.
- Middle English
thing
“object, item, or personal possession”
General usage becomes the dominant sense.
- Early Modern English
things
“plural entity or collection of matters”
Connections
Word parts
thing
root
entity or matter
s
ending
plural marker
Related across languages
Old Norse
þing
assembly
German
Ding
thing
Explore next
Related to things
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.