jerk

jerk · noun, verb¹

1. Old English · inherited fromġearcian“to prepare, make ready, procure, furnish, supply”
2. Old English · derived fromġearc“ready, active, quick”
3. Middle English · derived fromyerkid“tightly pulled”
4. Middle English · inherited fromyerk“sudden motion”
5. English todayjerk

Probably from Middle English yerk (“sudden motion”) and Middle English yerkid (“tightly pulled”), from Old English ġearc (“ready, active, quick”) and Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready, procure, furnish, supply”). Cognate with Scots yerk (“to jerk”). Related also to English yare (“ready”).

jerk · noun, verb²

1. Quechua · derived fromch'arki
2. Spanish · borrowed fromcharqui
3. English todayjerk

Denominal verb of jerky, itself borrowed from Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch'arki.

Words from the same roots