Etymology Map
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Whisk

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means a kitchen tool for beating eggs or cream; to move quickly

Where does the word "whisk" come from? It comes from Old Norse visk, passing through Middle English before entering English (1660s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
visk
Old Norse · medieval
"wisp"
a wisp or bundle of straw
2
Stage 2 of 3
wisk
Middle English · 1300s
"swift movement"
a quick sweeping movement
3
Stage 3 of 3
whisk
English · 1660s
"beating tool"
a bundle of twigs or wire used for beating eggs
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Read the full story

Whisk’s story begins in Old Norse: visk meant “wisp.” A wisp or bundle of straw. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as wisk. A quick sweeping movement. It reached English by 1660s as whisk. A bundle of twigs or wire used for beating eggs. Today, whisk means a kitchen tool for beating eggs or cream; to move quickly.