An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/zwinken

by Friedrich Kluge

zwinken, zwinkern, vb., ‘to wink, twinkle,’ from MidHG. zwinken, zwingen, ‘to blink, twinkle’; also in MidHG. zwinzen (from *zwingezen) and zwinzern. Corresponding to AS. twinclian, E. to twinkle.