Where does “wick” come from?
Wick comes from Old English wice, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, ultimately traced to the root gʷeih₃w-.
wick (English): A bundle, twist, braid, or woven strip of cord,...
Definitions
- A bundle, twist, braid, or woven strip of cord,...
Ancestry of “wick”, step by step
wick traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English weke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | weke | week; workweek; A candlewick or wick |
| 2 | Old Norse | vǫkva | moisture, humidity; to moisten, water |
| 3 | Old Norse | vǫkr | moist, wet |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wakwaz | wet, moist |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wegʷ- | wet, moist |
via Middle English wicke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wicke | Alternative form of wikke; wick |
| 2 | Old English | wiċċa | (male) witch, wizard, sorcerer, magician, druid, necromancer |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *wikkō | sorcerer, warlock |
Words derived from “wick”