weyk

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

weyk

1. Alternative form of weke (“wick”)

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”).

Alternative forms

• wayk, weik, waik, weke, weeke, wayke, waike, weyke, weike

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæi̯k/, /wɛːk/

Adjective

weyk (plural and weak singular weyke, comparative weyker, superlative weykest)

1. weak (feeble; lacking bodily strength, might, or energy):
   1. Weak or feeble due to illness, affliction or aging.
   2. Tired; weak or feeble due to overexertion (physical or not)
   3. (of a body part) Vulnerable, inflexible, frail.
   4. (rare) Lacking competency in combat or on the battlefield.
2. Lacking mental strength, force, power or endurance:
   1. Weak religiously; in danger of sinning or moral failure.
   2. Fearing, afraid; lacking bravery, heart, or courage.
   3. Unintelligent; lacking intelligence or mental willpower.
   4. (rare) Lazy, indolent, slothful; unwilling to exert.
3. weak (lacking force or strength otherwise):
   1. Lacking military force or might; militarily weak.
   2. Useless or ineffectual; lacking effect, utility or power.
   3. (rare) Helpless; lacking authority or control.
   4. (rare) Weakened; lacking presence or magnitude.
   5. (of sound, rare) Hard to hear or detect; quiet.
4. Lacking physical rigidity, permanence, or solidness.
   1. (rare) Bendable; able to be plied or flexed.
   2. (rare) Easily damaged, attacked, or destroyed; fragile.
5. Having a tendency to be ill or sick; infirm or frail.

Derived terms

• weyken
• weykenesse
• weykly

Descendants

• English: weak
• Scots: waik, wake, wak (conflated with woke)

Further reading

• “weik, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-28.