Wreathe
/riːð/noun
To twist, encircle, or surround with a wreath or winding form.
Did you know?Wreathe comes from the same Old English twisting verb as “writhe,” linking graceful garlands with the older imagery of coiling and contortion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wreit-
“To twist or turn; a reconstructed Indo-European root.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wrīþaną
“To twist, writhe, or turn.”
Old English
Old English
wrīðan
“To twist, turn, or writhe.”
Old English
Old English
writha
“A twisted band, ring, or garland—the ancestor of “wreath.””
Middle English
Middle English
wrethen
“To twist, braid, or encircle.”
15th Century
English
wrethe / wreathe
“To twist around or form into a wreath.”
Modern English
English
wreathe
“To surround, encircle, or adorn with a wreath-like form.”