Etymology: < irk adj. or irk v.

Etymology: Middle English, originally northern and north midland; not known outside English: see irk v.

Etymology: Middle English irke-n , yrke-n , originally northern and north midlands; found with the cognate adjective irk n., from c1300; the compound forirk v. occurs as early as c1250; of uncertain origin.It does not appear whether the verb was formed from the adjective (which would a priori be the more likely) or vice versa. The affinities outside English are also uncertain; there was a rare Middle High German erken to be disagreeable, to disgust, nauseate, with frequentative erkeln, and adjective erklich abhorrent, which suits the sense; but the rarity of this, with its non-appearance in Low German, causes difficulties. On the other hand, the northern character of the word in English has suggested its identity with Old Norse yrkja (= Gothic waurkjan, Old English wyrcean) to work, to take effect upon, Swedish yrka to urge, press, enforce; the theory being that the notion ‘it works me’ might have developed in English that of ‘it wearies, tires, or disgusts me’. But for this there is no actual evidence; Old Norse yrkir does not even appear impersonally used.