Where does “wretch” come from?
Wretch comes from Middle English wrecche, from Old English wreċċa, from Proto-Germanic wrakjô, from Proto-Indo-European wreg-, meaning to drive or push out.
wretch (English): An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person; An...
Definitions
- An unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable person; An...
Ancestry of “wretch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wrecche | wretched |
| 2 | Old English | wreċċa | a wretch, stranger, exile; exile, outcast |
| 3 | Frankish | wrakkjō | servant, boy; mercenary, servant; mercenary;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wrakjô | an exile, one who is persecuted or displaced,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wreǵ- | to work, act |
Words derived from “wretch”