Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “wring” come from?

wring (Middle English) comes from Old English wringan, from Proto-Germanic wringaną, from Proto-Indo-European wrenǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European werǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

wring (Middle English): Alternative form of wryngen

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of wryngen

Ancestry of “wring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwringanto wring
2Proto-Germanicwringanąto squeeze, twist, wring
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwrenǵʰ-to twist, wry, constrict, choke, thring
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵʰ-bind, squeeze; to bind, squeeze; to turn, twist,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →