Etymology

Always derived from ON, cp. morkna 'to become rotten', formed on morkinn 'rotten', cp. MHG murc 'rotten'; related to OIr meirc 'rust' from PIE *mer-g-, and further to the base *mer-k- in Lat marcēre 'wither'.

PGmc Ancestor

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

morkna 'to become rotten'
(ONP morkna (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far morkna, Icel morkna, Norw morkna, Sw murkna

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B2c

Attestation

hapax legomenon

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Cl 407

Some editions print morkne, but the MS reading is probably <mourkne> (so GollCl, Anderson, OED3, etc.)

Bibliography

MED morknen (v.) , OED3 mourken (v.) , HTOED , Bj. 217, de Vries morkna, Mag. morka (3)