Middle English Dictionary Entry
irk(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | irk(e adj. Also erk(e, urke. |
| Etymology | Prob. Celt.; cp. OIr. arcoat 'he injures' (fut. -irchoi) & erchoat 'harm, injury' (MIr. airchót, erchót, MnSc.Gael. urchóid, Wel. argywedd) & erchóitech 'harmful' (MIr. airchóitech, er-, ur-, MnSc.Gael. urchóideach). Sense 2 of the adj. & sense 3 of the verb retain something of the original meaning. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Tired; ~ of, weary of (sb. or sth.), bored with; tired (of doing sth.); (b) lax, slow; ~ of, averse to (sth.), unwilling (to do sth.), reluctant, loath.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6425 : Sua lang he heild þam [his hands] vp..Þof he was irk, it was na wonder.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10991 : Þai had beden til þai war irk.
- a1400 Grete ferly (Roy 17.B.17)155 : A shipe thorgh þo flode of þo world sayles..In whilk are men þat of þo world are irke.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)358 : Of hyr bedys was scho neuer yrke.
- a1425 Rolle EDormio (Arun 507)415 : Mikel loue he schewes þat is neuer irke to loue.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)33/16 : Þe saule is..in maner yrk for charge.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)75 : To wake were they not yrke.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)161/3 : Be not yrke of me in erde to syttyn a-lone..& thynkyn of my lofe.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)215/27 : Sche was neuyr irke þerof; þe tyme went a-wey sche wist not how.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)233/36 : Þe mor sche wept, þe yrkar was hir man of hir cumpany.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)118 : Owre frendis of us wille sone be irke.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)447/16 : He wolde suffer þaim to have recreacion..at þai sulde not be yrke of þer labur.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4054 : To loue his god he was noȝt yrke.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5558 : Þe Erle for fyghtyng was all Irke.
- (1460) Paston (Gairdner)3.216 : I am urke of variaunces, for parties waxen wrooth if men hold not with there oppynyons whan thei in angre trotte over fer by yon hem self.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.53.36b : Þi sowle whan it findiþ..in þi self..blak reek of gostli blindnes and gret flitynge of fleschli þouȝtes..it is sone irk.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.83.57a : He schal sone ben irk and sone take his lefe.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)578 : Of labure & preyer, I am nere yrke of both.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1517 : He bete hur wyth a ȝerde of byrke..tyll he was yrke.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)182/43 : I am so irk That farther may I noght.
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)51 : He had skarsly dwelled there a yere, but that his doughter was yrke of hym.
b
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4340 : Ful slogh þey were when þey shuld wyrk; Yn tyme of traueyle were þey yrk.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4539 : Yn goddys seruyse are swyche men yrk.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4867 : Men therynne shulde hem delit, And of that deede be not erk.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)236 : Gif vs fully..To iesu skoles his laus to lere..Of whilk vs aw not to be irk.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)378/30 : He wex somwhatt yrke in his religion.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)3232 : To do hir prayer he was noȝt yrk.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)510 : Þare Robertt ryst hym..Irke ne ydell neuer of dede.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)197/84 : Bot when he commys, be then not yrk [rime: kyrk, wyrk].
- a1500 Play Sacr.(Dub 652)839 : To call to God for grace looke þou neuer he irke.
2.
(a) Distressed, troubled; (b) in pain, injured, suffering; (c) troublesome, difficult, annoying; thinken ~, to seem troublesome or annoying.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.92 : Clerkes of holy kirke he chargis greuosly; Þei were bisie & irke on þer rentes to lyue by.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)77 : The daye woxe..dirke..Ther of sir Gawane was irke.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4816 : Þe gude bischope and all his kirke, Als þe peple made he irke.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)6357 : Þa þat him sow of him ware irke.
- 1451 Tundale (Roy 17.B.43)316 : Þai se a depe dale fulle myrke; Of hit was Tundale fulle yrke.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)549 : I am here a-geyn to make þis felow yrke.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)310/139 : Sich tayles full sone wold make vs yrke.
b
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Peter & P.(Ashm 42)4 : Twa pryncis of hali kirk Was als þis daie of pyne full yrk.
c
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)72/211 : Whan þat ȝe bene in þe kerke, þenke þer-on and þenke not erke.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)538 : Thys londe ys so harde, yt makyth wn-lusty & yrke.