Etymology Dictionary

BALK (1),  a beam; a ridge, a division of land.  (E.)   Not much in use at present; common in old authors.   M.E. balke.   'Balke in a howse, trabs;' Prompt. Parv. p. 22; balkes, rafters, Chaucer, C. T. 3625; 'balke of lond, separaison;' Palsgrave.—A.S. balca, a heap; in the phr. 'on balcan legan' = to lay in heaps, Boeth. xvi. 2; which explains Shak. 'balked,' laid in heaps, I Hen. IV, i. I. 61. + O. Saxon balko, a beam; Heliand, l. 1708. + Du. balk, a beam, rafter, bar. + Icel. bálkr, a partition. + Swed. balk, a beam, partition. + Dan. bjælke, a beam. + G. balken, a beam, rafter. + Gael. balc, a boundary, ridge of earth between two furrows (perhaps borrowed from E. or Scandinavian).   B. Balk stands for bar-k, derivative of the form bar as seen in M.H.G. bar, O.H.G. para, a balk, beam, enclosed field; see Fick, i. 694; Curtius, s.v. φάρος.   The original idea is 'a thing cut;' hence either a beam of wood, or a trench cut in the earth; cf. Gk. φάραγξ, a ravine, φαρόω, I plough, φάρσος, a piece; from the ✔BHAR, to cut, cognate with E. bore, to pierce.   The idea of 'ridge' easily follows from that of trench, as the plough causes both at once; in the same way as a dyke means (1) a trench, and (2) a rampart.  See Bar, Bore. [†]

BALK (2),  to hinder.  (E.)   Shak. has balked, Tw. Nt. iii. 2. 26.   'Balkyn or ouerskippyn, omitto;' Prompt. Parv.   And again, 'Balkyn, or to make a balke in a londe, porco;' Prompt. Parv. p. 22.   A balk also means a bar, a beam, see above; and to balk means to bar one's way, to put a bar or barrier in the way; cf. Icel. bálkr, a beam of wood, also a piece of wood laid across a door; also, a fence (Cleasby and Vigfusson).   The force of the verb is easily understood by reading the articles on Balk (1), Bar, Barrier.

ADDENDA

BALK (1),  Stratmann gives the Icel. form as balki; I copy bálkr from Vigfusson.