Where does “tweak” come from?

Tweak comes from Middle English twikken, from Old English twiccian, from Proto-West Germanic twekkōn, a verb of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.

tweak (English): To pinch and pull with a sudden jerk and twist;...

Definitions

  1. To pinch and pull with a sudden jerk and twist;...

Ancestry of “tweak”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtwikken—
2Old Englishtwiccianto twitch; to pluck
3Proto-West Germanictwekkōnto fasten; clamp; pin; to pinch; pluck

Words derived from “tweak”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic twekkōn →Every word from Old English twiccian →Every word from Middle English twikken →