The W in Wrap Once Marked a Twisting Sound
To wrap is to cover by winding something round. Its silent w belongs to a whole family.
To wrap is to cover something by winding or folding material round it. The silent w is not decoration: English has a cluster of *wr-* words that nearly all involve twisting or distortion — *wrap*, *wring*, *wrist*, *wrench*, *writhe*, *wrestle*, *wrinkle*, *wry* and *wrong*, which originally meant twisted. The w was pronounced until about the seventeenth century. *A wrap* meaning the end of filming comes from the American film industry of the 1920s.
- To cover. *Wrapping a parcel.*
- A covering. *A plastic wrap.*
- A shawl. *A wrap.*
- The end of filming. *That's a wrap.*
- Middle English — origin uncertain. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | wrap | Wrapping. |
| Noun | wrap | A wrap. |
| Past | wrapped | Wrapped. |
| Noun | wrapper | A wrapper. |
| Related | wring | To wring. |
- Wrap it in paper.Covering.
- That's a wrap.Film.
- Wrong once meant twisted.Family.
The wr- twisting family
- Wrap, wring, writhe — twisting motions
- Wrist — the joint that twists
- Wrench, wrestle — forceful twisting
- Wrinkle, wry — twisted out of shape
- Wrong — originally meaning twisted or crooked
Middle English, of uncertain origin, possibly Scandinavian, in the *wr-* family of twisting words.
Why do wr- words share a meaning?
The cluster is associated with twisting and distortion, from wrap and wring to wrist, wry and wrong.
Where does that's a wrap come from?
From the American film industry of the 1920s, announcing the end of shooting.