thought
/θɔːt/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*þankjanan — to think, to ponder
Overview
Meaning Now
- An idea, plan, opinion, or mental process produced by thinking.
- The process or power of reasoning or intellectual activity.
Literal older meaning
that which is pondered or conceived
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
þōht
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word is the past participle of the verb 'think', which evolved from Old English 'þyncan' (to seem) and 'þencan' (to think). The spelling reflects the Old English /x/ sound (a velar fricative, often written as 'h') which was eventually lost in pronunciation but preserved in written form.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*þuhtiz
“a thought, conception”
Derivative noun from *þankjanan
- Old English
þōht
“thought, anxiety, reflection”
- Middle English
thought
“mental action or product”
Connections
Word parts
thought
root
the process of thinking
Related across languages
German
dachte
thought (past tense of denken)
Dutch
gedachte
thought
Explore next
Related to thought
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.