1701: wink and blink Aug 11, 2019

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Though they sound similar, 'wink' and 'blink' have totally different origins. For one thing, 'wink' used to mean what 'blink' does now. This changed over time in the Middle Ages in part due to 'wince', to which it is related, and other senses of the word meaning 'blink irregularly' or even 'to signal'. Blinking on the other hand, meant something more like 'twinkle; shine' and also related to grimacing in pain, being related to 'blench'. It only came to mean what it does after meaning "sharply or suddenly moving the eyelids", but this connection is pretty close.
See more about etymologies here: https://youtu.be/AviuxNIvdPM

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