Where does “wrestlen” come from?
wrestlen (Middle English) comes from Old English wræstlian, from Old English wrǣstan, from Proto-Germanic wraistijaną, from Proto-Indo-European wreyt-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “wrestlen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | wræstlian | to wrestle |
| 2 | Old English | wrǣstan | to twist forcibly, wrench |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wraistijaną | to wrest, to twist, to turn |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wreyt- | to twist |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |