girk
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English ȝerken (“to move suddenly, excite, bind tightly, attack”), from Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready”). Cognate with jerk and yerk.
Verb
[edit]girk (third-person singular simple present girks, present participle girking, simple past and past participle girked)
- (archaic) To jerk, yerk.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:girk.
Noun
[edit]girk (plural girks)
- (archaic) A sudden or quick thrust or motion; a jerk.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:girk.
Further reading
[edit]- James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Girk”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 178, column 1: “obs. form of Jerk sb. and v.”.