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Origin and history of dirk

dirk(n.)

"stabbing weapon, dagger, poinard," c. 1600, perhaps from Dirk, the proper name, which was used in Scandinavian for "a picklock." But the earliest spellings were dork, durk (Johnson, 1755, seems to be responsible for the modern spelling). The earliest association is with Highlanders, however there seems to be no such word in Gaelic, where the proper word is biodag. Another candidate is German dolch "dagger."

The masc. given name is a variant of Derrick, ultimately from the Germanic compound in Dietrich.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to dirk

Dietrich

German masc. name and surname, literally "folk-rule" (Dutch Diederik), from Old High German Theodric, from theuda "folk, people" (see Teutonic) + rihhi "rule," from Proto-Germanic *rikja "rule," from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule." Variants or familiar forms include Derrick, Dierks, Dieter, Dirk. Compare Theodoric. Theodric the Ostrogoth, who held sway in Italy 493-526, appears in later German tales as Dietrich von Bern (Verona).

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    Trends of dirk

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    knife
    cutting instrument consisting of a short blade and handle," late Old English cnif, probably from Old Norse knifr "knife, dirk...
    guild
    [Dirk Boutkan, "Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary"] Continental guilds of merchants, incorporated in each town or city...
    rickets
    disease caused by vitamin D deficiency, 1630s, of uncertain origin (see note in OED). Originally a local name for the disease in Dorset and Somerset, England. Some derive it from a Dorset word, rucket "to breathe with difficulty," but the sense connection is difficult. The Modern
    dagger
    "edged or pointed weapon for thrusting, shorter than a sword," late 14c. (mid-14c. in Anglo-Latin), apparently related to Old French dague "dagger," from Old Provençal or Italian daga, which are of uncertain origin; perhaps from Celtic, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *daca "Dacian kni
    ragged
    of clothing or garments, "rough, shaggy," c. 1300 (late 12c. in surnames), past-participle adjective as though from a verb form of rag (n.1). Compare Latin pannosus "ragged, wrinkly," from pannus "piece of cloth." But ragged might reflect a broader, older meaning of the noun rag
    court
    late 12c., "formal assembly held by a sovereign," from Old French cort "king's court; princely residence" (11c., Modern French cour), from Latin cortem, accusative of cors (earlier cohors) "enclosed yard," and by extension (and perhaps by association with curia "sovereign's assem
    talent
    late 13c., "inclination, disposition, will, desire;" c. 1300, "feeling, emotion, passion," senses now obsolete, from Old French talent (12c.), from Medieval Latin talenta, plural of talentum "inclination, leaning, will, desire" (11c.), in classical Latin "balance, weight; sum of
    balance
    early 13c., "scales, apparatus for weighing by comparison of mass," from Old French balance "balance, scales for weighing" (12c.), also in figurative sense; from Medieval Latin bilancia, from Late Latin bilanx, from Latin (libra) bilanx "(scale) having two pans," possibly from La
    hail
    salutation in greeting, c. 1200, from Old Norse heill "health, prosperity, good luck," or a similar Scandinavian source, and in part from Old English shortening of wæs hæil "be healthy" (see health; and compare wassail). The interj. hail is thus an abbreviated sentence expressin
    censor
    1530s, "Roman magistrate of 5c. B.C.E. who took censuses and oversaw public manners and morals," from French censor and directly from Latin censor, from censere "to appraise, value, judge," from PIE root *kens- "speak solemnly, proclaim" (source also of Sanskrit amsati "recites,

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