An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Wieche

by Friedrich Kluge

Wieche, masculine, ‘wick,’ from Middle High German wieche, masculine and feminine, ‘twisted yarn as wick or lint,’ Old High German wiohha (wioh?), ‘wick’; also Middle High German and Modern High German (dialectic) wicke, with the same signification. The latter is connected with Wickel, from which Middle High German wieche was originally at all events quite distinct; compare Dutch wiek, ‘lamp wick,’ Anglo-Saxon weoca (but also wecca, equivalent to English wick). There are apparently no other cognates, unless we include Wocken.