Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

In our last episode,
<btdpjt$vb5$05$1@news.t-online.com>,
the lovely and talented Emil Veit
broadcast on alt.usage.english:

I find it hard to believe a native speaker could have formed that.

"Thinking" is sometimes used as an uncountable noun:  "What is your
thinking on this, Bill?"   That means nearly the same thing as:
"What are your thoughts on this, Bill?"  If a native speaker ever
uttered "thinkings" I would assume he confused these two possibilities.

"Thinkings" is not possible even when the thoughts of several and
various groups are considered:

No one could reconcile the thinking of the factions.
*No one could reconcile the thinkings of the factions.

Google shows (me) about 11,000 hits for "thinkings."  A survey of
a few pages of results reveals many of the occurrences are owing to
non-native speakers (mostly Japanese, German, and French) but
that a substantial number are in titles of blogs where, one supposes,
the usage is supposed to be cute or artistic.

From OED:

<< 1382 Wyclif Isa. lxv. 2 A puple+that goth in a wei not good, after ther
thenkingus.  1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) ii. 192b/2 So oryson
with fastyng casteth out+the foule thoughtes & vayne thynkynges.  1548 Udall
Erasm. Par. Luke v. 70 The secrete thinkynges of theyr hertes.  1601 Shakes.
All's Well v. iii. 128, I am wrap'd in dismall thinkings.  1812 Southey
Lett. (1856) II. 283 Put together all your recollections and memoranda, I
will put together my gleanings and thinkings.  1840 Dickens Old C. Shop
viii, All these sayings and doings and thinkings+affected him not in the
least.  >>

<< 1865 Pall Mall G. 1 June 11 His very religious and philosophical
thinkings being constantly disrupted by some whim or personal peculiarity.

It doesn't seem to have survived the 19th Century.
--
John Dean
Oxford
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