Word of the Week – Thank

Did you know that thank is to think what song is to sing? It’s true! Think and thank are derived from the same ancient root, and in fact, thank used to just mean “to think, to remember, to recollect.” But then it began to take on the meaning of “to think of or remember fondly,” and only then “to think of with gratitude.”

The noun and verb forms of the word both evolved at the same time and trace their roots back to the original Germanic language…which is why other Germanic languages still have words that sound very similar to our English “thank” and mean the same thing. (Those changes in meaning happened before the word even entered English.

So as we contemplate what we’re thankful for, let’s really give it some thought…and even better, let’s make sure all our thinking circles around to thankfulness.

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