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
- Something or someone that has been ruined; The...
Ancestry of “wreck”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wrek | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | wrek | shipwreck |
| 3 | Old Norse | wrek | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wrekaną | to pursue, to drive out |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wreǵ- | to work, act |
Words derived from “wreck”