English
hearken back
From hearken + back, possibly an erroneous substitution of hearken (“to hear (something) with attention; to have regard to (something); to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered; to hear with attention, compliance, or obedience”) for hark: see the usage note.
The story
From hearken + back, possibly an erroneous substitution of hearken (‘to hear (something) with attention; to have regard to (something); to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered; to hear with attention, compliance, or obedience’) for hark: see the usage note.
Today it means
verb Synonym of hark back (“to allude, return, or revert (to a subject previously mentioned, etc.); also, to evoke, or long or pine for (a past era or event)”).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / hearken back