The Etymology of 'Shrink': A Word's Journey Through Language

The word "shrink" comes from the Old Norse word "skrynkur," which means "to shrivel up" or "to draw together." The word first came into English in the 16th century, and it was originally used to describe the process of shrinking cloth. In the 17th century, the word began to be used figuratively to describe the process of becoming smaller or less important. In the 19th century, the word began to be used in the psychological sense, to describe the process of becoming mentally ill.