Where does “wrench” come from?
wrench (Middle English) comes from Old English wrenċ, from Proto-West Germanic *wranki, from Proto-Germanic wrankiz, from Proto-Indo-European wreng- — to turn.
Ancestry of “wrench”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wrenċ | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *wranki | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wrankiz | a turning, twisting; a turn, twisting |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wreng- | to turn |
Words derived from “wrench”