Where does “wry” come from?
Wry comes from Middle English wrien, Old English wrīġian, Proto-Germanic wrigōną, and Proto-Indo-European werǵ-, ultimately from the root wer-.
wry (English): Turned away, contorted; Dryly humorous; sardonic...
Definitions
- Turned away, contorted; Dryly humorous; sardonic...
Ancestry of “wry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wrien | to cover |
| 2 | Old English | wrīġian | to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wrigōną | to wriggle |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wreyḱ- | to twist; to bend |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |