Etymology Dictionary

WARP,  the thread stretched lengthwise in a loom, to be crossed by the woof; a rope used in towing.  (E.)   Lit. 'that which is thrown across.'   M.E. warp; 'Warp, threde for webbynge;' Prompt. Parv.—A.S. wearp, a warp; 'Stamen, werp,' Wright's Voc. i. 66, col. 1.—A.S. wearp, pt. t. of weorpan, to throw, cast, a strong verb; Grein, ii. 683. + Icel. varp, a casting, throwing, also the warping of anything; from varp, pt. t. of verpa (pp. orpinn), to throw. + Dan. varp, only as a naut. term. + Swed. varp, a warp. + O.H.G. warf (mod. G. werfte); from warf, pt. t. of werfen, to throw.   β. All from the Teut. base WARP, to throw, Fick, iii. 295, whence also Goth. wairpan, to throw; answering to Aryan ✔WARP, to throw, as seen in Lithuan. werpti, to spin, Gk. ῥέπειν, to incline downwards, ῥίπ-τ-ειν, to throw.   ¶ The M.E. werpen, to throw, pt. t. warp, pp. worpen, occurring in Havelok, 1061, &c., is obsolete.   Der. warp, verb, to pervert, twist out of shape (cf. cast in the sense of to twist timber out of shape); this is not the M.E. werpen (as above), but the derivative weak verb, and is of Scand. origin; M.E. warpen, Prompt. Parv., from Icel. varpa, to throw, cast, which from varp, sb., a casting, also a warping.   Cf. Swed. varpa, Dan. varpe, to warp a ship, from Swed. varp, the draught of a net, Dan. varp, a warp; cf. Dan. varpanker, a warp-anchor or kedge.   And see wrap.