The term wretch was once a commonly used insult, appearing much more frequently in the past than it does today, peaking in 1795. Its usage dates back to the early days of the English language and has been documented in various forms such as wrecche, wrechhe, wrecch, wrech, wroche, wrich, wryche, wratche, and more. Originating from the Proto-Germanic root wrakjon, which meant “one who is pursued”, the term historically referred to exiles and outlaws who were expelled from their communities. Interestingly, in German, wrakjon evolved into the word Recke, meaning “hero”, as heroes are often pursued by evil forces – a stark contrast in interpretation. Ultimately, wrakjon can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root wreg, denoting “track” or “follow”.
