Forms: α. 1–4 þanc, (3 ðhanc), 1–5 þank, (3 Orm. þannk), 4 thanc (thang), 4–5 þanke, 4–6 thanck(e, 4–7 thanke, (6 thangke), 4– thank. β. 1 thonc, 1–4 þonc, 2 þeonk, 2–5 þonk, (3 þong), 3–5 þonke, 4 þoncke. [OE. þanc, þǫnc = OFris. thonk, OS. *thank (MDu. danc, D. dank), OHG., MHG. danc (G. dank), ON. þökk (:—þanku fem.), Sw. tack, Da. tak, Goth. þagks:—OTeut. *þankoz, f. ablaut stem þenk: þank: þunk: see THINK. The primary sense was therefore thought.]
I. † 1. = THOUGHT. Obs. (See also I-THANK.)
735. Bæda, Death-song, 2. Naeniʓ uuiurthit thonc snotturra [or thoncsnotturra] than him thaarf sie.
a. 900. Andreas, 557 (Gr.). Saʓa þances gleaw þeʓn, ʓif þu cunne, hu þæt ʓewurde be werum tweonum.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), lxxxvii[i]. 11. Ne on ðeostrum ne mæʓ, þances ʓehyʓdum, æniʓ wislicu wundur oncnawan.
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., Matt. xv. 19. Of þare heorte cumeð þa yfele þankes [c. 1000 ʓeþancas].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 3. Heo urnen on-ȝein him … mid ufele þeonke.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 90. He þurþsicheþ uches monnes þonc.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 9. We … folȝeð on þonke, and on speche, and on dede, þat him is iqueme.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 222. He … put … a swuc[h] þonc in hire softe heorte.
c. 1300. Prov. Hending, i., in Sal. & Sat., etc. (1848), 270. Gode þonkes and monie þewes for te teche fele schrewes.
† 2. Favorable thought or feeling, good will; graciousness, grace, favor. Obs.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 796 (Gr.). Þis is landa betst, þæt wit þurh uncres hearran þanc habban moston.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), ci. 15 [cii. 17]. Oft he þearfendra bene þance ʓehyrde.
1340. Ave Maria, in Rel. Ant., I. 42. Hayl Marie of thonke vol [Vulg. Luke i. 28 Ave! gratia plena].
1609. Bible (Douay), Ecclus. xii. 1. If thou wilt doe good, know to whom thou doest it, and there shal be much thanke [Vulg. gratia multa] in thy good deedes.
† b. The genitive case thanks, ME. thankes, lit. ‘of thought,’ ‘of good will,’ was used adverbially in sense ‘willingly, voluntarily,’ esp. with preceding possessive pronoun, e.g., his thankes = with his consent, good will, or approval: so Godes thankes = Deo volente. Cf. UNTHANKES, unwillingly. Obs.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xiii. Sæʓe me nu hwæðer se þin wela [þines] ðances swa diore seo, þe for his aʓenre ʓecynde.
1008. Charter of Bp. Theodred, in Birch, Cart. Sax., III. 209. Mines erfes þat ic beʓiten habbe & ʓet biʓete Godes þankes and hise haleʓen.
1066. O. E. Chron. (MS. C.). Tostiʓ … nam of þam butse karlon sume mid him, sume þances sume unþances. Ibid. (1154), an. 1140 (MS. Laud). Hi of Normandi wenden alle fra þe king…, sume here þankes & sume here un þankes.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 17. Al swa þu waldest þet me dude þe þines þonkes.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 70. Ek for þe þe sulue mose Hire þonkes wolde þe totose.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Shipman’s T., 188. Pardee, I wol nat faille yow, my thankes.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxi. 140. Þis ile dare na pilgrim come in ne nere it, þaire thankes.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 891. Koghe þow not þenne þy þonkes.
† 3. Kindly thought or feeling entertained towards any one for favor or services received; grateful thought, gratitude. Rarely in pl. Obs.
The sense of ‘gratitude, kindly or loving feeling for favor or benefit’ must have been developed between that of ‘good will, good feeling’ generally, and that of ‘the expression of gratitude.’ But the feeling passes so naturally into its expression that it is not easy to separate them in the quotations, except by the accompanying verbs: to express one’s thanks, and the archaic to con thanks, ought to mean to express one’s feelings of gratitude; but to give, offer, return or receive thanks, ought to mean to give or receive the expression of gratitude; so to have thanks, but this is less clear. In many instances it is impossible to say which is meant; some of the examples given here may belong to 4.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9379. Muche þonc were it vs of god mid him vorto fiȝte.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1380. Haue I þryuandely þonk þurh my craft serued?
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1728 (1777). Þis encres of hardynesse and myght Com hym of loue, his ladyes thank to wynne.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12724. The lady þonkit hym þroly with þonks in hir hert.
c. 1420. Brut, 343. Þanne þei … went hom ayen yn-to her owne cuntre, with grete loue & moche þanke.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xvi. 19. Or the gift deliuerit be, The thank is frustrat and expyrd.
a. 1677. Barrow, Wks. (1687), I. viii. 94. It was a satyrical answer (that of Aristotle) … who being asked … What doth the soonest grow old? replied … Thanks.
4. The expression of gratitude; the grateful acknowledgement of a benefit or favor. † a. in sing. Obs.
† Gode þank, God-thank [= L. Deo gratias, F. grâce à Dieu), thanks (be) to God, thank God.
Beowulf, 1779. Þæs siʓ metode þanc, ecean dryhtne, þæs ðe ic on aldre ʓe-bad.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxv. § 4. Þa ʓesceafta næren nanes þonces ne nanes weorðscipes wyrðe. Ibid. (c. 897), Gregory’s Past. C., 2. Gode almiehteʓum si ðonc ðætte we nu æniʓne on stal habbað lareowa.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 1116 (Gr.). Him þæs þanc sie.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvi. (Nycholas), 324. Thang to al-mychtty god he ȝaulde.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 490/1. Thanke, grates, graciarum accio, gratulamen.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 195/2. Thanke and glorye to god & honoure to the vyrgyne.
1534. More, Treat. Passion, Introd., Wks. 1271/1. Turning to god with lawde and thanke.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., II. ii. Doughtie. He will thank you woman. Madge. I will none of his thanke.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 385. Is this the thanke which you returne to God?
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., 9. Gode ðonc. Ibid., i. 27.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 11. Unbileue … is aiware aleid and rihte leue arered godeðonc.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2578. Þe king was gode þonk aboue in four batailes.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2005. Þus wolde þe theues me haue reft, But god-þank, he hauenet sure keft.
b. in plural. † Formerly sometimes const. as sing.
1340. Ayenb., 18. Me … him ne yeldeþ þonkes of his guodes, þet he ous heþ ydo.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, iv. (Arb.), 8. All hath he but lytyl thanks.
1509. Hawes, Past Pleas., iv. (Percy Soc.), 21. At whose encreace there is great thankes rendred.
1538. Elyot, Grates, thankes.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 215. Thankes to men Of Noble mindes, is Honourable Meede. Ibid. (1592), Rom. & Jul., II. vi. 23. Else is his thanks too much.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxxi. 191. Prayers precede, and Thanks succeed the benefit.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. II. xvi. 72. Our soldiers were fed luxuriously at the fisheries, for nothing more than thanks.
1805. R. Fulton, in Sinclair’s Corr. (1831), II. 64. I return it to you with my sincere thanks.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, xlix. 4. Thanks superlative unto thee Catullus Renders.
1881. ‘Rita,’ My Lady Coquette, iii. Yolande gives her a smile of thanks.
c. A thank (formerly also a thanks): an expression of gratitude; a thanking, a thank-you. Now rare.
† To pick (get, win) a thank: see PICK v.1 8 b. Obs.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1984. Vche mon þat he mette, he made hem a þonke, For his seruyse.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. vii. (1883), 139. To thende that they myght haue a thanke & be preysed.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., Pref. 5 b. Verye manye of those wryters seke to pike a thanke.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Herbs, etc. Wks. (1587), 119. While Pierce the plowman hopes to pick a thank.
1579–1627. [see PICK v.1 8 b β].
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. vii. Without a thankes, to be sent hence!
1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor., I. xv. (1696), 81. He … contents himself with a bare Thank for a Requital.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poet. Wks. (1846), 67. With his lordship’s thank.
1839. Longf., Black Kn., 47. The children drank, Gave many a courteous thank.
II. Phrases and phraseological uses.
5. Thanks: a much abbreviated expression of gratitude for a favor received or recognition of a service; = I give you my thanks, my thanks to you, or the like. Also many thanks, best thanks.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 559. If your Ladiship would say thankes Pompey, I had done. La. Great thankes, great Pompey. Ibid. (1605), Macb., II. i. 30. Macb. Good repose the while! Banq. Thankes, Sir: the like to you!
1647. Peacham, Worth of a Penny, 14. He answers you with Monosyllables,… Yes, No, That, Thankes, True, &c.
1803. Forest of Hohenelbe, I. 167. Thanks, Baron, for your good wishes.
1803. Pitt, in G. Rose’s Diaries (1860), II. 16. Many thanks for your letter.
1866. E. FitzGerald, More Lett. (1901), 82. Don’t you dislike the way some People have of saying perpetually ‘Thanks!’ instead of ‘Thank you’ for anything you may say or do for them? It is like cutting Acknowledgment as short as possible…. Thanks [is] about one of the most hideous monosyllables, even in the English Language.
1870. Miss Bridgman, Rob. Lynne, II. xiv. 299. ‘Would you like to read the letter, Robert?’ ‘No, thanks.’
6. Thanks to: Thanks be given to, or are due to; hence, Owing to, as a result of, in consequence of. (Often ironical.) So no thanks († thank) to, no credit to, not by virtue or merit of; not because or by reason of.
1633. Earl Manch., Al Mondo (1636), 115. It is no thankes to a man to pay that willingly, which he must doe of necessitie.
1633. Bp. Hall, Medit. & Vows (1851), 150. It is scarce any thank to me that he prevails.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Rev. iii. 4. No thank to the Pastour, who was a mercenary eye-servant.
a. 1687. Petty, Pol. Arith., vi. (1691), 99. No thanks to any Laws which have been made to that purpose.
1737. Pope, Hor. Epist., II. ii. 68. But (thanks to Homer) since I live and thrive, Indebted to no Prince or Peer alive.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, V. vi. It is a sight but rarely spied, Thanks to man’s wrath and woman’s pride.
1894. Westm. Gaz., 21 Aug., 3/3. The passengers—thanks, I expect, to the bitter cold—behaved more quietly at night than in the morning.
† 7. In (on) thank, to thank, with pleased mind, with pleasure or satisfaction; pleasantly, graciously; with thanks, gratefully. Obs.
a. 1000. Andreas, 1114 (Gr.). Hic þa lac hraðe þeʓon to þance.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 2442. Hie on þanc curon æðelinges est.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15047 (Cott.). Þou tak to thanc þat we þe mak Sli mensking als we mai.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, vi. (Thomas), 12. Þat he in grete thank vil take, And als reward hym t[h]ankfully.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4577. He seyde, ‘In thank I shal it take, And high maister eeke thee make.’
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 9803. If I wist to thank ye wold it take, A mariage fayne wold I make.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. v. 153. I grant thine axing, Troiane messinger, And ȝour rewardis ressauis in thank.
8. To can, con, cun (great, little) thank(s, to acknowledge or express gratitude, to make known gratitude, to give thanks, to thank. Obs. exc. dial.
See CAN v.1 10, CON v.1 4.
† 9. To have (or get) thank: to be thanked; also, to be thought worthy of thanks, to get the credit for, to have the merit or honor of (something); hence, contextually, thank = thanks due or merited, recompense, reward, credit, merit, and ironically discredit, blame. Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke xvii. 9. Ahne ðonc hafeð esne ðæm forðon dyde ða ðe him ʓehaten hæfde?
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., ibid. Hæfð se þeowa æniʓne þanc forþam ðe he dyde þæt [etc.]?
c. 1020. Rule St. Benet, v. (Logeman), 25. He for swylcere dæde æniʓne ne begitt þanc.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 131. Þa ðe doð god for to habben ðer of aȝen in þisse liue, nabbeð heo nenne þonc on eche weorlde.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9915. Þe wrecche luþer giwes … a riche presant … sende þis noble kinge, ac hor þonc was lute.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13841. Þar-for har he neuer thank!
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2081. Maister, þank haue ȝe. For þou me þis bode brouȝt Mi robe ȝiue y þe.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 452. For who so yeveth a yifte or dooth a grace, Do it by tyme, his thank ys wel the more.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., vii. (1885), 125. Off somme man [h]is highnes shall haue more thanke ffor money then ffor lande.
1483. Cath. Angl., 381/2. A Thanke, meritum, emericio, emericium.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, II. iv. (S.T.S.), I. 142. Thir twa lawis … war pronuncit allanerlie … be auctorite of þe said valerius (þat he mycht þarethrow haue þe thank þareof).
1539. Bible (Great), Luke vi. 32. Yf ye loue them which loue you, what thanke haue ye? [so 1611, 1881; Tindale, what thanke are ye worthy of? Rhem. what thanke is to you?].
1545. Elyot, Dict., s.v. Inco, Gratiam inire, to get thanke or frendes with some pleasure done vnto them.
1584. Mirr. Mag., 9. It is a work of more thank to preserue health, then to cure Sicknesse.
1600. Nashe, Summers Last Will, Introd. He … must be making himselfe a publike laughing stock, & haue no thanke for his labor.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, N. T., 4. The thanke of this is Gods, not yours.
1669. R. Montagu, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 424. Lord Clarenden would have the thanks and credit of it.
10. To give thanks († thank, † to do thank(s), to express gratitude; spec. = ‘to give thanks to God’; now esp. of saying grace at a meal. arch.
971. Blickl. Hom., 39. Don we … Drihtne þancas þe us þa wæstmas sealde. Ibid., 191. Þanc ic do, Crist þu ʓoda hyrde. Ibid., 217. He … Ælmihtiʓum Gode þære ʓife þanc sæʓde.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 1. To gyue therfore synguler louynges & thankes.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxvi. 26. Jesus toke breed, and gave thankes, brake it, and gave it to his disciples.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. i. 162. Will you giue thankes, sweete Kate, or else shall I?
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Mass., I. 262. The general court … gave them thanks for their good services.
1808–18. Jamieson, s.v. Grace-drink, After the giving of thanks at the end of a meal.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., ix. All gave me fair thanks for the knightly manner of quitting myself towards them, except one.
11. To return thanks, to render thanks in return for a benefit or favor. Now chiefly used of the formal or public expression of thanks, or of grace at a meal.
1591–1780. [see RETURN v. 20].
1717. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Mar, 18 April. I returned her thanks, and … took my leave.
1827. Edin. Weekly Jrnl., 28 Feb. He begged leave to return thanks for the honour which had been conferred on the Patrons of this excellent Institution.
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, vii. ‘Let us return thanks,’ said he; which he did forthwith, and all quitted the table.
III. 12. attrib. and Comb., as thank-receiver, thanks-prayer; † thank-picking, thanks-freighted adjs.; † thank-render, a rendering of thanks, a thanksgiving; thanks-day, Thanksgiving Day (U.S.); thanksdoing, thanks-living (nonce-wds., after thanksgiving), action or conduct indicative of a thankful spirit. See also THANK-OFFERING, THANKSGIVING, etc.
1633. Ford, Love’s Sacr., IV. i. Edged on by some *thank-picking parasite.
1786. Cowper, Lett. to Lady Hesketh, 31 Jan. I will constitute you my *Thank-receiver-general for whatsoever gift I shall receive hereafter.
1548. Gest, Pr. Masse, in Dugdale, Life (1840), App. I. 98. It is a forged worship and *thankerendre.
1696. W. Bates, Serm. Forgiveness, 123. Let our thanksgiving be joined with *thanksdoing.
1882. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxix. 65. We lose ourselves in adoring thanksgiving, and find ourselves again in careful *thanks-living.
1900. Month, Feb., 133. Passages … which seem to have reference to this primitive *Thanksprayer.
