| 1 | Middle English | wring | Alternative form of wryngen |
| 2 | Old English | wringan | to wring |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wringaną | to squeeze, twist, wring |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wrenǵʰ- | to twist, wry, constrict, choke, thring |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵʰ- | bind, squeeze; to bind, squeeze; to turn, twist,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |