wrick

Etymology

This word came into English via Middle English wricken, probably from Middle Dutch wricken (compare Modern Dutch wrikken, “to wriggle”) or Middle Low German wricken (“to move jerkily; sprain”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), itself from *wer- (“to turn, bend”). See also Low German wriggen and German Low German wricken (“to row; scull; move back and forth”). Compare also Danish vrikke (“to move; turn; wriggle”) and Swedish vricka (“to sprain; twist; scull”).