hark

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*hauzijaną“to hear”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hauʀikōn
3. Old English · inherited from*hercian
4. Middle English · inherited fromherken
5. English todayhark

From Middle English herken, herkien, from Old English *hercian, *heorcian, *hiercian, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀikōn, *hauʀukōn, derived ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”) + formative/intensive -k (see also the related hīeran, whence English hear). Equivalent to hear + -k. Cognate with Scots herk (“to hark”), North Frisian harke (“to hark”), West Frisian harkje (“to listen”), obsolete Dutch horken (“to hark, listen to”), Middle Low German horken (“to hark”), German horchen (“to hark, harken to”).

Words from the same roots