darg

English

Etymology 1

First attested in late Middle English; a syncopic form of daywork, developed through the series of forms: daywork → daywerk → daywark → dawark → *da’ark → dark → darg.

Alternative forms

• dawerk, dawark [15th century]
• daurk [18th century]
• daark, dark, darrak, darroch, dargue, daurg [19th century]

Pronunciation

• (RP) enPR: därg, IPA: /dɑːg/, X-SAMPA: /dA:g/

Noun

darg (plural dargs)

1. (in Scotland and northern English dialects) A day’s work, the task of a day; also, a defined quantity or amount of work, or of the product of work, done in a certain time or at a certain rate of payment; a task.

Derived terms

darg-days

darger, darker

dargsman

darging

References

• “Darg” listed on page 33 of volume III (D–E), § i (D) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1897]
• “darg” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]

Etymology 2

The ŏ of dog (dŏg) has merged with ä in many American dialects.

Noun

darg (plural dargs)

1. (dialect) Informal form of dog.
   • 1897, Herbert George Wells, The Invisible Man; Chapter III:

     Hall had stood gaping. "He wuz bit," said Hall. "I’d better go and see to en," and he trotted after the stranger. He met Mrs. Hall in the passage. "Carrier’s darg," he said "bit en."

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Scots

Etymology

Alteration of dark, a contraction of dawark, daywerk ‘day's work’.

Noun

darg (plural dargs)

1. a day's work (especially agricultural labour)
2. an amount or number of something produced in a day