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Origin and history of wry

wry(adj.)

1520s, of the neck, face, features, "abnormally bent, distorted, somewhat twisted to one side," from obsolete verb wry "to contort, to twist or turn the neck, deviate from a straight course," Middle English wrien, from Old English wrigian "to turn, bend, move, go," from Proto-Germanic *wrig-.

This is reconstructed in Watkins to be from PIE *wreik- "to turn" (source also of Greek rhoikos "crooked," Lithuanian raišas "lame, limping"), from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend."

Figuratively, of words, thoughts, etc., "devious in course or purpose, ill-natured," from 1590s. In reference to a smile by 1883. The original sense is preserved in awry.

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian wrigia "to bend," Middle Low German wrich "turned, twisted." Related: Wryness.

also from 1520s

Entries linking to wry

awry(adv.)

late 14c., "crooked, askew, turned or twisted to one side," from a- (1) "on" + wry (adj.).

wryly(adv.)

"in a wry, distorted, or awkward manner," 1570s, from wry (adj.) + -ly (2).

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dry
Middle English drie "without moisture, comparatively free from water or fluid," from Old English dryge, from Proto-Germanic *draugiz (source also of Middle Low German dröge, Middle Dutch druge, Dutch droog, Old High German trucchon, German trocken, Old Norse draugr), from Germani
scowl
According to Klein's sources, this is probably related to Old English sceolh "wry, oblique," Old High German scelah "curved...
wrong
late Old English, "twisted, crooked, wry," from Old Norse rangr, earlier *vrangr "crooked, wry, wrong," from Proto-Germanic...
shank
"shank, leg"), perhaps literally "that which bends," from PIE root *skeng- "crooked" (source also of Old Norse skakkr "wry...
sequester
late 14c., sequestren, transitive, "remove (something), set aside; quarantine, isolate (someone); excommunicate;" also intransitive, "separate oneself from," from Old French sequestrer (14c.) and directly from Late Latin sequestrare "to place in safekeeping," from Latin sequester
prodigal
c. 1500, of persons, "given to extravagant expenditure, lavish, wasteful," a back-formation from prodigality, or else from French prodigal and directly from Late Latin prodigalis, from Latin prodigus "wasteful," from prodigere "drive away, waste," from pro "forth" (from PIE root
figure
c. 1200, "numeral;" mid-13c., "visible appearance of a person;" late 14c., "visible and tangible form of anything," from Old French figure "shape, body; form of a word; figure of speech; symbol, allegory" (10c), from Latin figura "a shape, form, figure; quality, kind, style; figu
contrast
1690s, "to set in opposition with a view to show the differences; to stand in opposition or contrast; to set off (each other) by contrast," from French contraster (Old French contrester), modified by or from Italian contrastare "stand out against, strive, contend," from Vulgar La
gig
"light, two-wheeled carriage, usually drawn by one horse" (1791), also "small boat," 1790, perhaps imitative of bouncing. There was a Middle English ghyg "spinning top" (in whyrlegyg, mid-15c.), also "giddy girl" (early 13c., also giglet), from Old Norse geiga "turn sideways," or
cousin
early 13c., "a collateral blood relative more remote than a brother or sister" (mid-12c. as a surname), from Old French cosin "nephew; kinsman; cousin" (12c., Modern French cousin), from Latin consobrinus "cousin," originally "mother's sister's son," from assimilated form of com

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