[OE. þingian, as sense 1 below, also to make terms, come to terms, settle, determine, speak, discourse, address; Com. Teut. = OFris. thingja to plead (WFris. tingen, NFris. tingje), OS. thingôn to confer, transact business, deal (MDu. dinghen, Du. and LG. dingen to bargain, etc.), OHG. dingôn to hold a court, conduct a process or suit, negotiate, come to an agreement, arrange a compromise or terms of peace, to stipulate, etc. (Ger. dingen to discuss, bargain, hire, engage on terms), ON. þinga to hold a (public) meeting, confer, consult, discuss terms (Sw. tinga to agree as to terms, engage, Da. tinge to bargain, etc.) :—OTeut. þingôjan, f. þingom THING sb.1, the original sense being more distinctly retained in the vb.)
† 1. intr. To plead a cause, supplicate, intercede, make intercession (with dative = for); trans. to bring to reconciliation. Obs.
a. 1000. Ecgberti Poenitentiale, IV. c. 62. Gif he wyle … him sylfum þingian [L. supplicare].
c. 1000. Cædmon’s Satan, 510. Ic [Christ] eow þingade, þa me on beame beornas sticedon.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 15. Þe lauerd sainte poul … þingie us to þe holie fader of heuene, þat he geue us mihte. Ibid., 43. Do we ec mid ure wel dede þingen us wið ure helende.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8997. To þingen uss wiþþ ure Godd Þurrh bedess & þurrh lakess. Ibid., 18124. Ure Laferrd Jesu Crist Iss Prest … Hiss follc to þingenn wel inoh Towarrd Drihhtin off Heffne.
2. To represent by things, i.e., concrete objects. Hence Thinger.
1883. G. Massey, Nat. Genesis, I. i. 16. Symbolism was not a conscious creation of the human mind; man … did not begin by thinging his thoughts in intentional enigmas of expression. Ibid. Things were pourtrayed before thoughts by those who were thingers rather than thinkers.
