wærc
Old English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom Proto-Germanic *warkiz (“ache, pain”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-, *wreǵ- (“to work, act”). Cognate with Old Norse verkr (“pain”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editwærċ m
Usage notes
edit- The spelling of this word and the texts in which it is found show it to be an Anglianism. The expected West Saxon form would be wierċ, late wyrċ (the latter is actually attested once, as dative singular wyrċe). However, it does not appear in originally West Saxon sources, where sār and eċe are found instead.
Declension
editDeclension of wærċ (strong i-stem)