different between weak vs werk

English

Etymology

From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English w?c (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English w?can (“to yield”). Doublet of week and wick. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?k, IPA^(key): /wi?k/
• Rhymes: -i?k
• Homophone: week

Adjective

weak (comparative weaker, superlative weakest)

1. Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
   • weak with hunger, mad with love

2. Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.

3. Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
   • 1703, Nicholas Rowe, The Fair Penitent Act I, scene I:

     Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.

4. Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.

5. (grammar) Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
   1. (Germanic languages, of verbs) Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense with -d- or -t-.
   2. (Germanic languages, of nouns) Showing less distinct grammatical endings.
   3. (Germanic languages, of adjectives) Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.
6. (chemistry) That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.

7. (physics) One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
8. (slang) Bad or uncool.

9. (mathematics, logic) Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)
10. Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
11. Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
12. Lacking in vigour or expression.

13. Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
14. (stock exchange) Tending towards lower prices.

15. (photography) Lacking contrast.

Synonyms

• (lacking in force or ability): feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable, vulnerable
• (lacking in taste or potency): dilute, watery
• See also Thesaurus:weak

Antonyms

• (lacking in force or ability): healthy, powerful, robust, strong, invincible
• (lacking in taste or potency): potent, robust, strong
• (chemistry: that does not ionize completely): strong

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Wake, wake, weka

West Frisian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v???k/

Adjective

weak

1. (Clay) soft

Inflection

Alternative forms

• wêk (Wood)

Further reading

• “weak (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

English

Noun

werk (plural werks)

1. Obsolete form of work.

Anagrams

• w**ker

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???rk/

Etymology 1

From Dutch werk, from Old Dutch *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werk?, from Proto-Indo-European *wér?om.

Noun

werk (plural werke, diminutive werkie)

1. work

Derived terms

• werkboek

Etymology 2

From Dutch werken, from Middle Dutch werken, from Old Dutch wirken, wirkon (“to work, make”), from Proto-Germanic *wirkijan? (“to work, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer?-, *wre?- (“to work, act”).

Verb

werk (present werk, present participle werkende, past participle gewerk)

1. work

Related terms

• werker

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??rk/
• Hyphenation: werk
• Rhymes: -?rk

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch werc, from Old Dutch *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werk?, from Proto-Indo-European *wér?om.

Noun

werk n (plural werken, diminutive werkje n)

1. A task, job, chore.

   Het werk dat moest gebeuren, is voltooid. — The thing that must be done is finished.

2. A profession, job, employment, line of work.

   Het werk van Hans is buschauffeur. — The profession of Hans is bus driver.

3. A workplace

   Hans kwam vandaag te laat aan op het werk. — Today Hans arrived to the workplace too late.

4. A product, creation; production, output, result of work.

   Het werk van Magritte zal op de veiling verkocht worden. — The work of Magritte will be sold by auction.

5. (dialectal) tow, oakum

   Synonym: hede

Synonyms

• arbeid

Derived terms

- output, product(ion)

Related terms

• werken

Descendants

• Afrikaans: werk

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

werk

1. first-person singular present indicative of werken
2. imperative of werken

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wirk, work

Etymology

From Old English weorc. See English work for more.

Noun

werk (plural werks)

1. work
2. sexual intercourse
   • 1422, James Yonge (translator), Secretum Secretorum:

References

• “werk, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *werk?, whence also Old High German werc, Old Norse verk.

Noun

werk n

1. work

Declension

Scots

Noun

werk (plural werkis)

1. Obsolete form of wirk (“work”).

References

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