An object, idea, or situation when you don’t want to name it more exactly. It’s a very general word used for almost anything.
From Old English 'þing' meaning 'meeting, assembly, matter, affair.' In early Germanic societies, a 'thing' was a gathering to discuss legal or public matters. Over time, the meaning broadened from a specific event to any object or matter at all.
Originally, a 'thing' wasn’t an object on a table—it was a public meeting where people made decisions. So when you say, 'Is that even a thing?' you’re unknowingly echoing the old idea of something being an officially recognized matter. The word traveled from the town hall to every corner of life.
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