wikke

Dutch

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle Dutch wicke, from Old Dutch *wikka, from Proto-West Germanic *wikkjā, from Latin vicia.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɪ.kə/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: wik‧ke
  • Rhymes: -ɪkə

Noun

wikke f (plural wikken)

  1. vetch, leguminous plant of the genus Vicia

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Perhaps from an adjectival use of Old English wicca.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwik(ə)/

Adjective

wikke (comparative wicker)

  1. evil, morally wrong, wicked
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Miller's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 3483-3486:
      ‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,
      Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,
      For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!
      Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?
      ‘Jesus Christ and Saint Benedict,
      Bless this house from every wicked creature,
      For evil spirits of the nights, the white pater-noster!
      Where went thou, Saint Peter's sister?’
  2. sinful, depraved
  3. malicious, destructive
  4. harmful, damaging
  5. rowdy, fierce, fear-inducing
  6. harmful, injurious
  7. challenging, difficult
  8. bad, of poor quality
  9. deprived, miserly
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Man of Law's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 118-119:
      ‘Alle the dayes of povre men ben wikke;
      Be war therfor, er thou come in that prikke!
      ‘All the days of poor men are painful;’
      Beware, therefore, before thou come to that point!

Descendants

  • English: wicke (obsolete)
  • Scots: wick

References

Noun

wikke

  1. evil, badness
  2. challenge, hardness

References

Adverb

wikke

  1. wickedly, evilly
  2. mightily

References

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