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”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →