särk

From Proto-Norse. Compare Swedish särk. Cognate to Livonian serk.

särk (genitive särgi, partitive särki)

1. shirt

From Old Swedish særker, from Old Norse serkr, from Proto-Germanic *sarkiz (“shirt, armour, hauberk”), from Proto-Indo-European *swerg-, *swerk- (“clothes worn outside”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to arrange, tack, tie, unite”).

Cognate with Scots sark, serk (“shirt, shift”), North Frisian serk (“shirt”), Danish særk (“gown, shirt”), English sark (“shirt”), Icelandic serkur (“nightshirt”).

särk c

1. (chiefly historical) a shift, a chemise, a smock (type of (woman's) undergarment (made of linen or the like), similar to a long-sleeved shirt or dress)
2. a nightgown, a robe

   Synonym: nattlinne

   • 1968, Cornelis Vreeswijk (lyrics and music), “Personliga Person [Personal Person]”, in Tio vackra visor och Personliga Person [Ten beautiful songs and Personal Person]:

     ["Person" is pronounced like the last name "Persson" in this song] Personliga Persons fru och hans vidriga dotter, de sutto [archaic] i sina särkar ännu och sina papiljotter. Person såg på dem med föga sympati, och i sitt stilla sinna tänkte Person "Tvi!" – fast han ingenting sade, och det var ju bra det.

     Personal Person's wife and his disgusting [or "vile," "repugnant," "odious" or the like – stronger than "disgusting"] daughter, they were still sitting in their robes and their curlers. Person looked at them with little sympathy, and quietly to himself ["in his calm/still mind" – idiomatic], Person thought "Yuck!" – though he didn't say anything, and that's good [literally, "and that was good," or – see ju – "and yeah, that was good," "and that was good, of course," or the like].

• bärsärk

• särk in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• särk in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• särk in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

• skär