REFUSE

c.1300, from O.Fr. refuser (12c.), from V.L. *refusare, frequentative of pp. stem of L. refundere "pour back, give back". Refusenik "Soviet Jew who has been refused permission to emigrate to Israel" (1975) is a partial translation of Rus. otkaznik, from otkazat "to refuse."

 

 

 THINK

 

O.E. þencan "conceive in the mind, think, consider, intend" (past tense þohte, p.p. geþoht), probably originally "cause to appear to oneself," *thankjan or þencan is the causative form of the distinct O.E. verb þyncan "to seem or appear" (past tense þuhte, pp. geþuht), from P.Gmc. *thunkjan (cf. Ger. dünken, däuchte). Both are from PIE *tong- "to think, feel" which also is the root of thought and thank. The two meanings converged in M.E. and þyncan "to seem" was absorbed, except for archaic methinks "it seems to me." Jocular pp. thunk (not historical, but by analogy of drink, sink, etc.) is recorded from 1876.