Where does “wrongful” come from?
wrongful (Middle English) comes from Middle English wrong, 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.
wrongful (Middle English): evil, sinful; wrongful, unethical; dishonest
Definitions
- evil, sinful; wrongful, unethical; dishonest
Ancestry of “wrongful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wrong | A wrong, injustice; A wrong, evil, wrongdoing,... |
| 2 | Old English | wrang | wrong, injustice; rough, uneven |
| 3 | Old Norse | rangr | unjust |
| 4 | Old Norse | wrangr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wrangaz | twisted, warped, bent, crooked, wry; wretched,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | werḱ- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “wrongful”