Wink

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Old English wincian ‘close the eyes’, of Germanic origin; related to German winken ‘to wave’, also to wince1.

wiktionary

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From Middle English winken(strong verb) and Middle English winken(weak verb), from Old English *wincan(strong verb) and wincian(“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-Germanic *winkaną(“to move side to side, sway”), *winkōn(“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng-(“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken(“to blink, wink”), German winken(“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken(“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare(“sway”), Lithuanian véngti(“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang(“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वञ्चति(vañcati, “he swaggers”).

wink (plural winks)

Clipping of periwinkle.

etymonline

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wink (v.)

Old English wincian "to blink, wink, close one's eyes quickly," from Proto-Germanic *wink- (source also of Dutch winken, Old High German winkan "move sideways, stagger; nod," German winken "to wave, wink"), a gradational variant of the root of Old High German wankon "to stagger, totter," Old Norse vakka "to stray, hover," from PIE root *weng- "to bend, curve." The meaning "close an eye as a hint or signal" is first recorded c. 1100; that of "close one's eyes (to fault or irregularity)" first attested late 15c. Related: Winked; winking.

wink (n.)

"a quick shutting and opening of the eyes," c. 1300, from wink (v.); meaning "very brief moment of time" is attested from 1580s.