English
hark
Hark comes from Middle English herken ‘to listen attentively, take heed’, from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną ‘to hear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-1‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ḱh₂owsyéti1‘to be sharp-eared’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hauzijaną2‘to hear’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hauʀikōn2reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*hercian2reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500herken2‘to listen attentively, take heed’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598hark2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną
- 2 Wiktionary, English hark
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “But harke, I heare the footing of a man.”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-Wiktionary, Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ḱh₂owsyétiWiktionary, Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną‘to be sharp-eared’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hauzijanąWiktionary, English hark‘to hear’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hauʀikōnWiktionary, English harkreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*hercianWiktionary, English harkreconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500herkenWiktionary, English hark‘to listen attentively, take heed’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598harkWiktionary, English hark. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “But harke, I heare the footing of a man.”
Formed from hear + -k
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
…
Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną ‘to hear’
Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan ‘to hear’
Old English hēran ‘to hear’
Middle English har
English hear
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
edge, egg, acid, eager, acute, ear, hammer, axe, acne, oxide, mediocre, vinegar, acetate, mediocrity, acupuncture, acacia, exacerbate, acumen, acme, acuity, paragon, acyl, acrid, rosacea, acrimony, acerbic, exacerbation, roselle, 72 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti ‘to be sharp-eared’
through Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną ‘to hear’
Today it means
verb To listen attentively.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “hark”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / hark