Editing Thing (assembly) (section)

{{Short description|Governing assembly of early Germanic societies}}
{{Redirect|Folkmoot|the festival|Folkmoot USA}}
{{Further|Medieval Scandinavian law}}
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[[File:Germaanse volksvergadering (cropped).jpg|upright=1.05|thumb|right|A Germanic assembly, by [[Charles Rochussen]]]]

A '''thing''',{{efn|{{langx|is|þing}}; {{langx|de|Ding}}; {{langx|ang|þing}}; {{langx|enm|thing}}.}} also known as a '''folkmoot''', '''assembly''', '''tribal council''', and [[Thing (assembly)#Etymology|by other names]], was a governing assembly in early [[Germanic peoples|Germanic society]], made up of the free people of the community presided over by a [[lawspeaker]]. Things took place regularly, usually at prominent places accessible by travel. They provided legislative functions, as well as social events and trade opportunities. In modern usage, the meaning of this word in English and other languages has shifted to mean not just an assemblage of some sort but simply an object of any kind. Thingstead ({{langx|ang|þingstede}}) or "thingstow" ({{langx|ang|þingstōw}}) is the English term for the location where a thing was held.

{{anchor|Earliest reference and etymology|Etymology|Names}}