Etymology
1. O.E.
wyrgan "to strangle," from W.Gmc.
*wurgijanan (cf. M.Du.
worghen, Du.
worgen, O.H.G.
wurgen, Ger.
würgen "to strangle," O.N.
virgill "rope"), from PIE
*wergh- "to turn" (see wring). The oldest sense was obs. in Eng. after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1671, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1553), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intrans. sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.
2. From Middle English worien, werien, wirien, wirwen, wyryȝen (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”).
3. Cognate with Dutch worgen, wurgen, German würgen. Compare Latin urgere (“to press, push”), Sanskrit वृहति (vṛhati, “to tear out, pluck”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring. See: Proto-Germanic '
*wurgijaną', Dutch '
worgen', German, old spelling '
würgen', Latin '
urgeo', Sanskrit '
वृहति'.
Verbs referencing "worry"
Tok Pisin wari, German, old spelling
würgen, Dutch
wurgen, Latin
urgeo, Wymysorys
wjȳgja.