twinge

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*twenk-“to press, pressure, squeeze”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*twangijaną“to pinch, squeeze”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*twangijan“to pinch, squeeze”
4. Old English · inherited fromtwenġan“to pinch, squeeze”
5. Middle English · inherited fromtwengen“to nip, pinch, tweak; to tear at”
6. English todaytwinge

The verb is derived from Middle English twengen (“to nip, pinch, tweak; to tear at”), from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-West Germanic *twangijan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-Germanic *twangijaną (“to pinch, squeeze”), the causative form of *twinganą (“to press, squeeze”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to *þwangiz (“belt, strap, thong; pressure, restraint”) or *þwinganą, *þwinhaną (“to constrain; to force”) (whence German zwingen), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twenk- (“to press, pressure, squeeze”). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says there is no evidence for such a relationship. The noun is derived from the verb.

Words from the same roots