hark

English

Alternative forms

• heark (obsolete)

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: härk, IPA^(key): /hɑː(ɹ)k/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)k

Verb

hark (third-person singular simple present harks, present participle harking, simple past and past participle harked)

1. (archaic, often imperative) To listen attentively.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 182:

     But harke, I heare the footing of a man.

   • 1739, Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, “Hymn for Christmas-Day”, in Hymns and Sacred Poems:

     Hark! the herald angels sing / Glory to the new born King

   • 1856, Herman Melville, The Lightning Rod Man:

     "Hark! The thunder becomes less muttering. It is nearing us, and nearing the earth, too. Hark! One crammed crash! All the vibrations made one by nearness. Another flash. Hold."

   • 1906, O. Henry, “Between Rounds”, in The Four Million:

     Loud voices and a renewed uproar were raised in front of the boarding-house […] "'Tis Missis Murphy's voice," said Mrs. McCaskey, harking.

   • 1959, Tom Lehrer (lyrics and music), “A Christmas Carol”:

     Hark! The Herald Tribune sings, / Advertising wondrous things!

Derived terms

Related terms

• harken/hearken
• hear

Translations

Noun

hark (plural harks)

1. (Scots) A whisper

Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed through Vulgar Latin from Latin arcus.

Noun

hark m

1. bow
2. arch

Synonyms

• ber
• lëmajë (dialectal, Pukë)

Basque

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): (Southern) /ark/,
• IPA^(key): (Northern) /hark/,

Determiner

hark

1. ergative singular of hura

Pronoun

hark

1. ergative singular of hura

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑrk

• audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch harke, of uncertain origin, but probably imitative of scratching or raking, similar to Icelandic hark (“noise, tumult”) and Swedish harkla (“to clear the throat”).

Noun

hark m (plural harken, diminutive harkje n)

1. rake (garden tool)

Derived terms

• harken

Descendants

• → Caribbean Javanese: hareg
• → Papiamentu: harka, hark
• → Saramaccan: hálíki
• → Sranan Tongo: ar'ari, har'hari
  • → Caribbean Hindustani: harhári
  • → Caribbean Javanese: ari-ari

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

hark

1. inflection of harken:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse hark (“sound”), probably of imitative origin. Compare the cognates listed at Swedish harkla (“to clear the throat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /har̥k/
• Rhymes: -ar̥k

Noun

hark n (genitive singular harks, no plural)

1. noise, tumult, commotion, din

Declension

Synonyms

• (noise, commotion): hávaði, háreysti, skark, skarkali

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English harken, from Old English *hercian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɔːk/

Verb

hark

1. to hark
   • 1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 102:

     Ye nyporès aul, come hark to mee,

     Ye neighbours all, come hark to me,

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 102