Where does “wreck” come from?

Wreck comes from Middle English wrek, from Anglo-Norman wrek, from Old Norse wrek, from Proto-Germanic wrekaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wreg-.

wreck (English): Something or someone that has been ruined; The...

Definitions

  1. Something or someone that has been ruined; The...

Ancestry of “wreck”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwrekwreck
2Anglo-Normanwrekshipwreck
3Old Norsewrek—
4Proto-Germanicwrekanąto pursue, to drive out
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwreǵ-to work, act

Words derived from “wreck”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wreǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wrekaną →Every word from Old Norse wrek →