weyk
Middle English
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Old Norse veikr, from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”); forms with /ɛː/ are borrowed from Old Norse dialects which underwent East Nordic monophongisation. Doublet of woke; akin to Old English wīcan (“to yield”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wæi̯k/, /wɛːk/
Adjective
weyk (plural and weak singular weyke, comparative weyker, superlative weykest)
- weak (feeble; lacking bodily strength, might, or energy):
- Weak or feeble due to illness, affliction or aging.
- Tired; weak or feeble due to overexertion (physical or not)
- (of a body part) Vulnerable, inflexible, frail.
- (rare) Lacking competency in combat or on the battlefield.
- Lacking mental strength, force, power or endurance:
- Weak religiously; in danger of sinning or moral failure.
- Fearing, afraid; lacking bravery, heart, or courage.
- Unintelligent; lacking intelligence or mental willpower.
- (rare) Lazy, indolent, slothful; unwilling to exert.
- weak (lacking force or strength otherwise):
- Lacking military force or might; militarily weak.
- Useless or ineffectual; lacking effect, utility or power.
- (rare) Helpless; lacking authority or control.
- (rare) Weakened; lacking presence or magnitude.
- (of sound, rare) Hard to hear or detect; quiet.
- Lacking physical rigidity, permanence, or solidness.
- (rare) Bendable; able to be plied or flexed.
- (rare) Easily damaged, attacked, or destroyed; fragile.
- Having a tendency to be ill or sick; infirm or frail.
Derived terms
Further reading
- “weik, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-28.
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