Etymology: Cognate with North Frisian †junk , Old Saxon ink , German regional (Bavaria and Austria) (as plural) enk , enks , German regional (Dortmund) (as plural) ink , enk , Old Icelandic ykkr (Icelandic (as plural) ykkur ), Faroese (as plural) tykkum , (archaic) tykkur , Norwegian (Nynorsk) (as plural and honorific) dykk , Swedish regional (Dalarna) ikker , ikk , Gothic igqis , probably < an Indo-European base related ultimately to that of ye pron. On the survival of dual forms (in plural function) in some modern Germanic languages see discussion at yit pron.; the Norwegian (Nynorsk) and Faroese forms show analogical levelling of an initial dental from the nominative form (compare forms cited at yit pron.). On the full paradigm of 2nd person pronouns see general discussion at thou n.² Compare inker pron., inker adj.Compare also the rare Old English form incit (compare Old English uncet : see unk pron.), attested only in isolated use in Genesis A and only in the accusative (not the dative), with the ending -it perhaps after yit pron., wit pron., or perhaps representing an alteration (with dissimilation) of an earlier form *incic (compare discussion of Old English ēowic at you pron., adj., and n., and see further P. V. Stiles ‘Old English uncet and incit’ in A. Petersen & H. F. Nielsen Frisian & Germanic Misc. (1996) 557–68, R. M. Hogg & R. D. Fulk Gram. Old Eng. (2011) II. §§5.26, 5.32):OE Genesis A (1931) 2733 Ne ceara incit duguða of ðisse eðyltyrf ellor secan, winas uncuðe.OE Genesis A (1931) 2881 Rincas mine, restað incit her on þissum wicum. In early Middle English, the forms were influenced variously by the rest of the pronominal paradigm; forms such as ȝinc , ginc are apparently after yit pron. (compare also ye pron.), while forms such as ȝunnc , gunc arose by association with forms of you pron. or of (1st person) unk pron. Compare also discussion of forms at inker pron., inker adj. In the following quotation it is unclear whether the form hunke (found in both manuscripts) is intended by the scribe of the Caligula manuscript to represent inc pron. or unk pron. (compare the form unker at inker pron. Forms); the scribe of the Jesus manuscript has clearly interpreted the form as unk pron. (compare the variant reading in the concluding clause); however, the original probably showed inc pron., which fits the sense better:c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) l. 1733 Hunke schal i tide harm & schonde. ȝef ȝedoþ [a1300 Jesus Oxf. we doþ] griþ bruche on his londe. Compare also early Middle English inc self in reflexive use (as direct object):c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 349 Ȝif þu wlt þu miht wel helpen inc seluen [c1300 Otho ȝou-seolue].

Etymology: Abbreviation of incorporated adj.