^f  Certainly  not  allied  to  hire  I

Whorl.  (E.)  The  same  as  wharl,  a
piece  of  bone  placed  on  a  spindle  to  twist
it  by.  The  likeness  between  a  wharl  on  a
spindle  and  a  whorl  of  leaves  is  sufficiently
close.  Contraction  of  M.  E.  wharvel,
whorvil;  from  A.  S.  hweorfa,  a  wharl.—
A.  S.  hweorfan,  to  turn ;  see  "Wharf,
"Whirl.  +  O.  Du.  worvel,  a  wharl;
worvelen,  to  twist  or  twine.
Why;  see  Who.
WI-WY.
Wick  (1),  a  twist  of  threads  for  a  lamp.
(E.)  M.  E.  wicke,  weyke,  wueke.  A.  S.
weoca,  a  wick.  +  O.  Du.  wiecke ;  Low  G.
wekey  lint ;  Dan.  vage,  Swed.  veke,  a  wick.
Orig.  sense  'pliant'  or  'soft;*  allied  to
"Weak.  The  A.  S.  wdc,  weak,  and  weoca  (  »
wica*),  a  wick,  are  both  fiom  wic-en,  pp.
of  wlcan,  to  give  way.  Cf.  O.  Du.  weeck,
soft,  Dan.  veg,  pliant,  Norw.  vik,  a  bend,
a  skein  of  thread,  Swed.  vek,  soft,  vekna,  to
soften,  G.  weich,  soft,  pliant.  Hence  the
sense  is  'a  bit  of  soft  stuff,'  such  as  lint,
&c.
Wick    (2),   a  town..(L.)    A.S.  wic\

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC


562


wick.
borrowed  from  L.  uicus,  a  village.    See
Vioinity.
Wick  (3),  Wich,  a  creek,  bay,  salt-pit.
(Scand.)  Icel.  vik,  a  small  creek,  inlet,
bay ;  see  Viking.
Wicked;  see  Wit  (1).
Wicker,  made  of  twigs.  (E.  or  Scand.)
M.  E.  wiker,  a  pliant  twig,  properly  a  sb.
—A.  S.  wic-en,  pp.  of  wiean,  to  give  way,
bend,  ply ;  see  Weak.  +  Dan.  dud.  vegre,
a  pliant  rod,  allied  to  Dan.  veg,  pliant,
weak;  Swed.  dial,  vekare,  vikker,  willow,
from  Swed.  veka,  to  bend,  ply.  See
witch-elm  (below).
