Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “wrong” come from?

wrong (Middle English) comes from Old English wrang, from Old Norse rangr, from Old Norse wrangr, from Proto-Germanic wrangaz, from Proto-Indo-European werḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

wrong (Middle English): A wrong, injustice; A wrong, evil, wrongdoing,...

Definitions

  1. A wrong, injustice; A wrong, evil, wrongdoing,...

Ancestry of “wrong”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwrangwrong, injustice; rough, uneven
2Old Norserangrunjust
3Old Norsewrangr—
4Proto-Germanicwrangaztwisted, warped, bent, crooked, wry; wretched,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwerḱ-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “wrong”

  • wrong
  • wrongly
  • wrongful
  • wrongdoing
  • wrongfully
  • wrongdoer
  • wrongheaded
  • wrongfulness
  • wrongheadedness
  • wronger
  • wrongest
  • wrongheadedly
  • awrong
  • wrongfoot
  • wrongminded
  • wronghead
  • alwrong
  • wrongish
  • wrongless
  • unwrong
  • wrongsome
  • wrong-headedly
  • wrongdo
  • dirtybadwrong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →