different between kirk vs firk

English

Etymology

Either from Old Norse kirkja (Middle English kyrke) or Old English cirice.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k??k/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /k??k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k

Noun

kirk (plural kirks)

1. (Northern England and Scotland) a church.

Derived terms

Scots

Etymology

From Old Norse kirkja or Old English cirice.

Noun

kirk (plural kirks)

1. church
2. temple

Verb

kirk (third-person singular present kirks, present participle kirkin, past kirkit, past participle kirkit)

1. (transitive) to bring to church for burial

See also

• kirkit

References

• “kirk” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.

English

Alternative forms

• ferk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f??(?)k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k

Etymology 1

From Middle English firken, ferken (“to proceed, hasten”), from Old English fercian (“to bring, assist, support, carry, conduct, convey, proceed”); perhaps akin to Old English faran (“to fare, go”), English fare; if so, equivalent to fare +? -k. Cognate with Old High German fuora (“benefit, sustenance, support”), Swabian fergen, ferken (“to bring, dispatch”).

Verb

firk (third-person singular simple present firks, present participle firking, simple past and past participle firked)

1. (transitive) To carry away or about; carry; move.
2. (transitive) To drive away.

   I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. - Shakespeare The Life of Henry the Fifth: IV, iv

3. (transitive) To rouse; raise up.
4. (intransitive) To move quickly; go off or fly out suddenly; turn out.
   • 1610, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist

     A wench is a rare bait, with which a man / No sooner's taken but he straight firks mad.

Noun

firk (plural firks)

1. A stroke; lash.

Etymology 2

Probably an alteration of freak.

Noun

firk (plural firks)

1. (Britain dialectal) A freak; trick; quirk.

Derived terms

• firkery