wick

wick · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*weg-“to weave”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*weukā“flax bundle; wick”
3. Old English · inherited fromwēoce“wick”
4. Middle English · inherited fromwek
5. English todaywick

The noun is derived from Middle English wek, weke, wicke (“fibrous cord drawing fuel to flame of a candle, etc.; material used to make this object”), from Old English wēoce (“wick”), from Proto-West Germanic *weukā (“flax bundle; wick”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *weg- (“to weave”). It has been suggested that noun etymology 1, noun sense 2 (“penis”) is derived from Hampton Wick, used as rhyming slang for prick. If so, that sense should be placed under etymology 2. The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch wiek (“wick; wing; blade, propeller”) * German Wieche (“wick; wisp”) * Swedish veke (“wick”) * West Frisian wjok, wjuk (“wing”)

wick · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*weyḱ-“to enter in; to settle; settlement”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*wīhsą“settlement; village”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*wīhs“burgh, village; colony, settlement; dwelling”
4. Proto-Italic · derived from*weikos“village”
5. Latin · derived fromvīcus“row of houses; street; quarter, neighbourhood; hamlet, village; municipal section or ward; farm”
6. Old English · inherited fromwīc“dwelling place, abode, lodging; temporary dwelling place, camp; place where a thing remains; town, village”
7. Middle English · inherited fromwik
8. English todaywick

From Middle English wik, wike, wich, wicke (“dwelling, home; building or land, probably enclosed, in which work is done; area, region, territory; city, town; hamlet, village”), from Old English wīc (“dwelling place, abode, lodging; temporary dwelling place, camp; place where a thing remains; town, village”), and then probably: * from Latin vīcus (“row of houses; street; quarter, neighbourhood; hamlet, village; municipal section or ward; farm”), from Proto-Italic *weikos (“village”); and/or * from Proto-West Germanic *wīhs (“burgh, village; colony, settlement; dwelling”), from Proto-Germanic *wīhsą (“settlement; village”); both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyḱ- (“to enter in; to settle; settlement”). Doublet of vicus and -wich. cognates * Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) (whence English eco-) * Dutch wijk (“quarter, district”) * Old Frisian wik * Old High German wîch, wih (“village”) (modern German Weichbild (“municipal area”)) * Old Saxon wic (“village”)

wick · adjective, noun³

A variant of quick.

wick · noun⁴

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₃weyg-, *weyg-“to bend, turn; to wind”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wīkwaną“to cease; to yield”
3. Old Norse · derived from*vík“angle, bend, corner”
4. Middle English · inherited fromwike
5. English todaywick

From Late Middle English wike, wyke (“corner of part of the body”), from Old Norse *vík (“angle, bend, corner”) (attested in munnvík (“corner of the mouth”)), from víkja (“to move, bend, curve; to retreat”) (related to Old Norse vikna (“to cave in, yield”)), probably from Proto-Germanic *wīkwaną (“to cease; to yield”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃weyg-, *weyg- (“to bend, turn; to wind”).

wick · noun, verb⁵

1. Old Norse · derived fromvíkja“to move, bend, curve; to retreat”
2. Middle English · derived fromwike
3. Scots · borrowed fromwick“(noun) shot in which a bowl or stone is aimed at another so that one or other is deflected at an angle towards the tee, cannon; (verb) to strike (a bowl or curling stone) in such a manner; to (attempt to) reach the tee in this manner”
4. English todaywick

Probably borrowed from Scots wick (“(noun) shot in which a bowl or stone is aimed at another so that one or other is deflected at an angle towards the tee, cannon; (verb) to strike (a bowl or curling stone) in such a manner; to (attempt to) reach the tee in this manner”), The Scots noun is probably derived from Middle English wike, wyke (“corner of part of the body”); the verb from Old Norse víkja (“to move, bend, curve; to retreat”): see further at etymology 4.

wick · noun⁶

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*weyg-“to bend, turn; to wind”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wīkō“bay; fjord, inlet”
3. Old Norse · derived fromvík“bay; small creek, inlet”
4. Middle English · inherited from*wik
5. English todaywick

Possibly from Middle English *wik (compare Old English wīc (“small bay, bight; creek, inlet”)), or from Old Norse vík (“bay; small creek, inlet”) (in place names; compare *vík (“angle, bend, corner”), attested in munnvík (“corner of the mouth”)), from Proto-Germanic *wīkō (“bay; fjord, inlet”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyg- (“to bend, turn; to wind”), *weyk- (“to bend, curve”).

wick · noun⁷

Probably a clipping of wicker.

Wick · proper noun⁸

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wīkō
2. Old Norse · derived fromvík“bay, inlet”
3. English todayWick

From Old Norse vík (“bay, inlet”), from Proto-Germanic *wīkō.

Wick · proper noun⁹

1. Old English · derived fromwīc“dairy farm”
2. English todayWick

From Old English wīc (“dairy farm”).

Words from the same roots