Etymology
Variants of this n. in ME without palatalization of final /k/ (cp. early forms such as
warch(e)) have been explained as influenced by the ON cognate
verkr 'pain, inflammation' of OE
wærc,
wræc 'pain, suffering, anguish' (cp. rare WS
wyrc); PGmc
*warki- is related to the more common
*werkan 'work' (see Kroonen), cp. OIcel
verk, OE
weorc, OFris
werk, OS
werk, OHG
werah,
werc, and influence from this form is also possible (see further
werkis (v.)). Absence of palatalization finally is not a secure test of loan, however, and the orthography of early forms in <ch> is also inconclusive, although it should be noted that palatalization is clearly indicated by MnE dial spellings in <ch>, which
EDD cites into the 19c.
PGmc Ancestor
*warki-
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
verkr 'pain, inflamation'
(ONP verkr (sb.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
Far verkur, Icel verkur, Norw verk, Dan værk, Sw värk
OE Cognate
wærc, wræc 'pain, suffering, anguish'
Phonological and morphological markers
[absence of palatalization of */k/]
(possibly diagnostic)
Summary category
CC2c