thane, thayne, thein

[A. S. thegen, thegn, then a thane; prop. = mature, grown up, from thigen, pa. par. of thehan =to grow up, to be strong; cogn. with Icel. thegn: Ger. degen a warrior, from gedigen, pa. par. of M. H. Ger. dihen; O. H. Ger. dihan; Ger. gedeihen = to grow up, to become mature.] [THEE, v.] A title of honor or dignity among the Anglo-Saxons. In England a freeman not noble was raised to the dignity of a thane by acquiring a certain amount of land (five hides in the case of a le er thane), by making three sea voyages, or by receiving holy orders. The thanes had the right of voting in the Witenagemot, not only of their own shires, but also of the whole kingdom, on important questions. There were two orders of thanes: The king's thanes, or those who attended at his court and held lands immediately from him, and ordinary thanes, or lords of the manor, and who had a particular jurisdiction within their limits. On the ce ation of his actual personal service about the king, the thane received a grant of land. After the Norman conquest, thanes and barons were cla ed together, and the title fell into disuse in the reign of Henry II. In Scotland, thane signified originally a count or earl, one who ruled a county, or even in some cases a province. Afterward the title was applied to a cla of non-military tenants of the crown, and continued in use till the end of the fifteenth century. "Of Fyfe Makduff that time the Thane ." Wyntoun: Chronicle , VI. xix. 2. *thane-lands, s . pl . Lands granted to thanes. *thane-dom, s. [Eng. thane ; dom.] The dis trict or jurisdiction of a thane. "In the thanedom once his own." Scott: Lay of the Last Minstrel, v. 2. *thane'-hood, s. [Eng. thane ; -hood.] 1. The office, dignity, or position of a thane; IMG:content-0967.png:[blocks in formation] thanking Thanet-sands, s . pl . Geol.: The lowest bed of the Lower Eocene of the London Basins resting immediately on the chalk. It has forty-five genera and seventy-three species of fo ils. ( Ethe ridge .) thănk (pa. t. thanked , * thonked ), v. t. [A. S. thancian , from thanc , thonc =thought, thanks; Dut. danken ; Icel. thakka ; Dan. takke ; Sw. tack a ; Ger. danken ; Goth. thagkjan = to think.] [THANK, 8.] To expre gratitude to for a favor; to make acknowledgment of gratitude to for benefits, favors, or kindne es. " Thank him not for that which he doth say." Shakesp.: Sonnet 79. (1) It is often used ironically. "That Portugal hath yet no more than a suspension of arms, they may thank themselves, because they came so late into the treaty; and that they came so late, they may thank the Whigs, whose false representations they believed." Swift . (2) I thank you (commonly shortened into thank you ): An expre ion of thanks for some kindne or act of politene . It is also frequently used in declining an offer or request, whether seriously or ironically. "No, I thank you , forsooth, heartily."-Shakesp.: Merry Wives, i. 1. (3) I will thank you : A colloquial phrase of politene used in introducing a request, and equivalent to, Will you oblige me by doing, giving, or handing so-and-so; as, I will thank you to shut the door. thănk, s . [A. S. thanc , thonc =thought, grace, favor, content, thanks; allied to think ; cogn. with Dut. dank ; Icel. thökk ; Dan.tak=thanks; tanke = thought; Sw.tack ; Ger. dank ; Goth. thagks .] acknowledgment of gratitude for a benefit, favor, or kindne . (Now used exclusively in the plural.) "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory."-1 Corinth. xv. 57. An expre ion of gratitude for a favor; an *2. Good-will, gratitude, thankfulne . (1) It is often used ironically. "It is a sight but rarely spied, Thanks to man's wrath and nd woman's pride." IMG:content-0968.png:[blocks in formation] Thank you ma'ams : Hollows or depre ions in a road, so called because as a vehicle plunges into them they cause involuntary bending of the body as in courtesying. ( U.S. Colloq .)