wry

wry · adjective, verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wreyḱ-“to turn, wrap, tie”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*wrigōną“to wriggle”
3. Old English · inherited fromwrīġian“to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press forward, endeavor, venture”
4. Middle English · inherited fromwrien
5. English todaywry

From Middle English wrien, from Old English wrīġian (“to go, turn, twist, bend, strive, struggle, press forward, endeavor, venture”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). Compare awry, wriggle.

wry · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wreyḱ-“to turn, wrap, tie”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*wrīhaną“to wrap, cover”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*wrīhan
4. Old English · inherited fromwrēon“to cover, clothe, envelop”
5. Middle English · inherited fromwryen
6. English todaywry

From Middle English wryen, wrien, wreon, wrihen, from Old English wrēon (“to cover, clothe, envelop”), from Proto-West Germanic *wrīhan, from Proto-Germanic *wrīhaną (“to wrap, cover”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”).

Words from the same roots