weyk

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

weyk

  1. alternative form of weke (“wick”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old Norse veikr,[1] from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”); doublet of woke.

Forms with /ɛː/ either reflect a monophthongisation of /æi̯/ to /ɛː/ before /k/[2] or are borrowed from Old Norse dialects which underwent East Nordic monophongisation.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wæi̯k/, /wɛːk/

Adjective

weyk (plural and weak singular weyke, comparative weyker, superlative weykest)

  1. Weak; lacking physical strength:
    1. (of a body part) Vulnerable, inflexible, frail.
    2. (of people) Weak due toage, illness, or overexertion}}
  2. Vulnerable; lacking mental strength:
    1. Religiously weak; vulnerable to sin.
    2. Timid, lazy; lacking courage or will.
    3. Stupid, dumb; lacking intelligence.
  3. Useless, powerless; lacking use or power
    1. Lacking military force or combat prowess; militarily weak.
    2. (rare) Helpless; lacking authority or control.
  4. (rare) Bendable, flexible; able to be bent.
  5. (rare) Fragile]; easily damaged or destroyed.
  6. (of sound, rare) Hard to hear or detect; quiet.
Derived terms
Descendants
  • English: weak
  • Scots: waik, wake, wak (conflated with woke)

References

  1. ^ “weik, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 28 November 2018.
  2. ^ Björkman, Erik (1902), “Chapter III. Miscellaneous Notes”, in Scandinavian loan-words in Middle English (Studien zur Englischen Philologie; 12)‎[1], Part II, Halle A.S.: Max Niemeyer, page 298.
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