Where does “wreche” come from?

wreche (Middle English) comes from Old English wræc, from Old English wrecan, from Proto-West Germanic wrekan, from Proto-Germanic wrekaną, from Proto-Indo-European wreǵ- — to work, act.

Ancestry of “wreche”, step by step

wreche traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English wræc

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwræcmisery, torment; persecution, punishment; exile
2Old Englishwrecanto take revenge; to avenge a person or a wrong;...
3Proto-West Germanicwrekanto drive out; to persecute
4Proto-Germanicwrekanąto pursue, to drive out
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwreǵ-to work, act

via Old English wracu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwracurevenge; persecution; misery, affliction
2Proto-Germanicwrakō—

via Old English wrǣċ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwrǣċvengeance, revenge
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wreǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wrekaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wrekan →