Etymograph

English

darken

Darken comes from Proto-West Germanic *dirkinōn ‘to darken’, and goes back to *derk ‘dark’.

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*derk‘dark’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*dirkinōn‘to darken’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150*deorcnianreconstructed
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500derkenen
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1606–1607darken

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*derk‘dark’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*dirkinōn‘to darken’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150*deorcnianreconstructed
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500derkenen
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1606–1607darken

Earliest quotation: c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra: “I must not think there are Evils enow to…”

Formed from dark + -en

Proto-West Germanic *derk

Old English deorc

Middle English derk

English dark

Linked words

through Proto-West Germanic *derk ‘dark’

darkness, darkly, 1 more

Today it means

verb To make dark or darker by reducing light.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *derk / darken

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