hark
UK[hɑːk]US[hɑːrk]
v
To listen attentively (often used in the imperative to draw attention to something).
Etymology
The word 'hark' originates from the Middle English 'herkien', which evolved from the Old English verb 'hiernan', meaning 'to hear' or 'to listen'. This Old English term is itself derived from the Proto-Germanic 'hauzijaną', a verb with the core sense of perceiving sound. The modern imperative use of 'hark', as in "Hark!" meaning "Listen!", preserves this ancient auditory meaning with a sense of urgency or command. Its journey reflects a straightforward semantic inheritance from its Germanic roots into a somewhat archaic but still understood English command.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It is a verb of Germanic origin, related to the Middle English 'herkien' and Old English 'heorcnian' (a variant of 'hiernan' meaning 'to hear'). Its functional role is as a standalone lexical verb.
Examples
"Hark! I hear the distant sound of trumpets."
"The old tale begins with the phrase, 'Harken to my story'."
"He stopped to hark to the nightingale's song."