Definition of the word wring

The origin of the word "wring" dates back to the Old English language, where it was spelled as "hrīnan" or "hrīnian". The verb initially meant "to twist or squeeze something to extract something from it, such as water from laundry or milk from a cow". The Old English word is derived from two roots: "hrī(h)" (meaning "twist") and "-an(n)" (signifying "causative action"). Hence, the meaning evolved to "to twist in order to extract" as the causative action imparted. During the Middle English period, the spelling and pronunciation of the word changed, with "ng" representing a "ngh" sound. This led to the variant "wringen" for "wreenken" in Middle English, which further transformed into "wrYNGE" and "wrincken" in the Late Middle English period. In the Early Modern English period, between the 15th and 17th centuries, the spelling settled on "wrinke" and "wrincken", while the pronunciation transformed into "wrīn(g)", with the "g" being silent, and the "e" becoming monosyllabic. The spelling "wrīnge" represented a dialectal variation. Today, "wring" is used in English to denote actions like squeezing out water from clothes, twisting someone's neck, or extracting information through intense questioning. Its definition has evolved considerably from its root meaning of "twisting and squeezing".