a Germanic tribal group that arose as a result of the intermixing of various Germanic tribes, including the Hermunduri, Angles, and Varni. In the early fifth century, the Thuringians established a kingdom in the area drained by the upper Elbe and the upper Danube. In 531 the greater part of this kingdom was seized by the Franks; the remainder was taken by the Saxons. The area originally occupied by the Thuringians became Thuringia, and the Thuringians later became part of the German people.