Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wrestle” come from?

Wrestle comes from Middle English wrestlen, from Old English wræstlian, of unknown ultimate origin.

wrestle (English): A wrestling bout; A struggle; To contend, with an...

Definitions

  1. A wrestling bout; A struggle; To contend, with an...

Ancestry of “wrestle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwrestlen—
2Old Englishwræstlian—
3Old Englishwrǣstanto twist forcibly, wrench
4Proto-Germanicwraistijanąto wrest, to twist, to turn
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwreyt-to twist
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “wrestle”

  • wrestling
  • outwrestle
  • arm-wrestle
  • レスリング
  • 레슬링
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →