Brewer's: Wick, Wicked

and in French Méche, Méchant. That the two English words and the two French words should have similar resemblances and similar meanings is a remarkable coincidence, especially as the two adjectives are quite independent of the nouns in their etymology. “Wick” is the Anglo-Saxon weoce, a rush or reed, but “wicked” is the Anglo-Saxon waec or wac, vile. So “méche” is the Latin mywa -a wick, but “méchant” is the old French meschéante, unlucky.

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