Dutch

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch wicke, from Old Dutch *wikka, from Proto-West Germanic *wikkjā, from Latin vicia.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɪ.kə/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: wik‧ke
  • Rhymes: -ɪkə

Noun

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wikke f (plural wikken)

  1. vetch, leguminous plant of the genus Vicia

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Perhaps from an adjectival use of Old English wicca.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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wikke (comparative wicker)

  1. evil, morally wrong, wicked
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Miller's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 3483-3486:
      ‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,
      Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,
      For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!
      Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?’
      ‘Jesus Christ and Saint Benedict,
      Bless this house from every wicked creature,
      For evil spirits of the nights, the white pater-noster!
      Where went thou, Saint Peter's sister?’
  2. sinful, depraved
  3. malicious, destructive
  4. harmful, damaging
  5. rowdy, fierce, fear-inducing
  6. harmful, injurious
  7. challenging, difficult
  8. bad, of poor quality
  9. deprived, miserly
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Man of Law's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 118-119:
      ‘Alle the dayes of povre men ben wikke;’
      Be war therfor, er thou come in that prikke!
      ‘All the days of poor men are painful;’
      Beware, therefore, before thou come to that point!

Descendants

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  • English: wicke (obsolete)
  • Scots: wick

References

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Noun

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wikke

  1. evil, badness
  2. challenge, hardness

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Adverb

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wikke

  1. wickedly, evilly
  2. mightily

References

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