irk
UK[ɜːk]US[ɜːrk]
v
To annoy or irritate someone.
Etymology
The verb 'irk' originates from Middle English 'irken', which meant 'to grow tired, become weary'. This Middle English term is likely of Scandinavian origin, related to Old Norse 'yrkja', meaning 'to work'. The semantic journey is one of figurative extension: from the physical exertion of work, to the resulting state of weariness, and finally to the sense of causing such weariness or annoyance in others. This evolution reflects a common pattern where a word describing an internal state comes to describe the external action that induces it. The modern, more specific sense of 'to irritate' became established by the 15th century.
Analysis
The word 'irk' is a simplex word of Middle English origin. It is not productively formed from separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
His constant complaining began to irk his colleagues.
It irks me when people are late for meetings.
The bureaucratic delays irked the project manager.