irked

The verb 'irk', from which 'irked' is derived, entered Middle English around the 15th century, with its earliest sense being 'to grow weary, become tired of'. Its ultimate origin is uncertain but is most plausibly traced to Old Norse 'yrkja', meaning 'to work'. The semantic connection lies in the concept of work leading to weariness and fatigue. Over time, the meaning evolved from the internal state of being weary to the external action of causing weariness or annoyance. Thus, 'irked' captures the resultant state of having been caused annoyance, moving from a sense of physical tiredness to one of mental irritation.

The word 'irked' is a simplex form derived from the verb 'irk'. It is of Middle English origin, likely from Old Norse 'yrkja' meaning 'to work', but its semantic shift to 'to weary, trouble' is specific to English. The '-ed' suffix is the regular past participle/past tense inflection, forming the participial adjective.