Wreck and Wretch Come From the Same Root
A wreck is the remains of something destroyed. The word shares an ancestor with wretch, meaning an outcast.
A wreck is the remains of something destroyed, especially a ship. *Wretch* comes from the same Germanic root meaning to drive out or banish: a wretch was originally an exile, someone driven from home, and a wreck was cargo driven ashore. Both describe something cast up by force. In English law, *wreck of the sea* had a precise meaning covering goods washed ashore, and complex rules governed who could claim them.
- Destroyed remains. *A shipwreck.*
- To destroy. *Wreck the plan.*
- Wretch — an outcast. *A poor wretch.*
- Wreckage — the debris. *Wreckage.*
- Old Norse — *vrek*, wreckage. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wreck | A wreck. |
| Plural | wrecks | Wrecks. |
| Verb | wreck | Wreck it. |
| Noun | wreckage | Wreckage. |
| Related | wretch | A wretch. |
- Divers explored the wreck.Ship.
- The news wrecked his weekend.Figurative.
- Wretch meant an exile.Etymology.
Wreck in law and salvage
- Flotsam — goods floating after a wreck
- Jetsam — goods deliberately thrown overboard
- Lagan — goods sunk but marked with a buoy
- Derelict — property abandoned with no hope of recovery
- Each category carried different rules of ownership
Old Norse *vrek*, wreckage or driftwood, from a Germanic root meaning to drive.
Are wreck and wretch related?
Yes. Both come from a Germanic root meaning to drive out. A wretch was an exile and a wreck was cargo driven ashore.
What is the difference between flotsam and jetsam?
Flotsam floats away from a wrecked ship; jetsam is deliberately thrown overboard to lighten it.