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Origin and history of wrest

wrest(v.)

Middle English wresten, "turn or twist about, extricate oneself; struggle, fight;" from Old English wræstan "to twist, wrench," and its Old Norse cognate reista "to bend, twist," both from Proto-Germanic *wraistjan, from *wreik- "to turn," which is reconstructed in Watkins to be from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Compare wrist.

The transitive meaning "turn or twist (something) forcefully" is by c. 1200; that of "pull and detach" (something) is by c. 1300. The meaning "to take by force" (in reference to power, authority, etc.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Wrested; wresting.

Entries linking to wrest

wrist(n.)

"joint of the body that connects the hand to the forearm," Old English wrist, from Proto-Germanic *wristiz (source also of Old Norse rist "instep," Old Frisian wrist, Middle Dutch wrist, German Rist "back of the hand, instep"), from *wreik- "to turn," which according to Watkins is from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend."

The notion is "the turning joint." Wrist-watch, small watch worn on a band around the wrist, is attested by 1889. Wrist-band is from 1570s as the part of a sleeve which covers the wrist, 1969 as a perspiration absorber.

wrestle(v.)

Middle English wrestlen "engage in a grappling struggle, struggle in a hand-to-hand contest of strength and adroitness," or for sport or show, from Old English *wræstlian, frequentative of wræstan "to wrest" (see wrest) with -el (3).

Compare North Frisian wrassele, Middle Low German worstelen. The figurative sense of "labor" against difficulties, troubles, etc., is recorded by early 13c.; that of "deal with as a troublesome duty, devote oneself earnestly to" is from mid-15c. Related: Wrestled; wrestling.

*wer-(2)

Proto-Indo-European root forming words meaning "to turn, bend."

It might form all or part of: adverse; anniversary; avert; awry; controversy; converge; converse (adj.) "exact opposite;" convert; diverge; divert; evert; extroversion; extrovert; gaiter; introrse; introvert; invert; inward; malversation; obverse; peevish; pervert; prose; raphe; reverberate; revert; rhabdomancy; rhapsody; rhombus; ribald; sinistrorse; stalwart; subvert; tergiversate; transverse; universe; verbena; verge (v.1) "tend, incline;" vermeil; vermicelli; vermicular; vermiform; vermin; versatile; verse (n.) "poetry;" version; verst; versus; vertebra; vertex; vertigo; vervain; vortex; -ward; warp; weird; worm; worry; worth (adj.) "significant, valuable, of value;" worth (v.) "to come to be;" wrangle; wrap; wrath; wreath; wrench; wrest; wrestle; wriggle; wring; wrinkle; wrist; writhe; wrong; wroth; wry.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit vartate "turns round, rolls;" Avestan varet- "to turn;" Hittite hurki- "wheel;" Greek rhatane "stirrer, ladle;" Latin vertere (frequentative versare) "to turn, turn back, be turned; convert, transform, translate; be changed," versus "turned toward or against;" Old Church Slavonic vrŭteti "to turn, roll," Russian vreteno "spindle, distaff;" Lithuanian verčiu, versti "to turn;" German werden, Old English weorðan "to become;" Old English -weard "toward," originally "turned toward," weorthan "to befall," wyrd "fate, destiny," literally "what befalls one;" Welsh gwerthyd "spindle, distaff;" Old Irish frith "against."

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