English word origin

Etymology of tink

From Middle English tinken, possibly from Old English *tincian, equivalent to tin + -k. Compare Dutch tinken (“to tink, toll, strike the bells of a clock”), German Low German tinken (“to tink”). Compare also English ting

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To emit a high-pitched sharp or metallic noise.

noun

A sharp, quick sound; a tinkle.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentiontinkenenm
Inherited-form mention*tincianang
Cognate mentiontinkennl · to tink, toll, strike the bells of a clock

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "tinken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English tinken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*tincian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *tincian"
    },
    {
      "name": "suf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tin",
        "3": "-k"
      },
      "expansion": "tin + -k"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "tinken",
        "t": "to tink, toll, strike the bells of a clock"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch tinken (“to tink, toll, strike the bells of a clock”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "tinken",
        "t": "to tink"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German tinken (“to tink”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ting"
      },
      "expansion": "English ting"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tinken",
      "tinken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*tincian",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/tincian"
    ],
    [
      "tin",
      "tin#English"
    ],
    [
      "-k",
      "-k#English"
    ],
    [
      "tinken",
      "tinken#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "tinken",
      "tinken#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "ting",
      "ting#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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      "glosses": [
        "To emit a high-pitched sharp or metallic noise."
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        "A sharp, quick sound; a tinkle."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To unknit.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

knit spelled backwards.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To unknit."
      ],
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        "slang",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A member of the travelling community. A gypsy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Shortened from tinker.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "pos": "noun",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for tink →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dGluaw