English
chark
A back-formation from charcoal (interpreted as chark coal).
The story
A back-formation from charcoal (interpreted as chark coal).
Another origin of chark
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerh₂-‘to make a sound, cry hoarsely’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerg-reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krakōn‘to crack, crackle’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cracian‘to resound, make an abrasive sound, crack’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ċearcian‘to chatter, creak, crash’variant of cracian
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500charken
- Englishtodaychark
Today it means
noun Charcoal; coke.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / chark