Etymology Dictionary

CARK,  solicitude, anxiety.  (F.,—L.,—C.)   In Spenser, F. Q. i. 1. 44.   M.E. cark (spelt carke), Monk of Evesham, ed. Arber, p. 78, l. 12; Cursor Mundi, l. 20790 (Northern dialect; another MS. has charge); Gamelyn, l. 760.   [Somner gives A.S. carc, care, but it is wholly unauthorised; the word being really French.]   The true solution of this word, never before clearly pointed out, is to be found in the Anglo-French word kark, a burden, weight, cargo, which is nothing but the Norman form of F. charge, as is also evident from the Cursor Mundi, ll. 20790, 23994, 24233.   This form kark occurs in the Liber Albus, ed. H. T. Riley, p. 224; and is corroborated by the occurrence of the verb sorkarker for sorcharger in the Statutes of the Realm, vol. i. p. 26, A.D. 1275; so also descarkere, to unload, Lib. Albus (Gloss.).   Hence cark meant, originally, a weight, load; but came to be used particularly of 'a load of care.'   The W. carc, anxiety, solicitude, is probably the E. word borrowed; cf. Bret. karg, a load, burden (probably French); though the ultimate root is Celtic.   The Low Lat. carcare, to load, occurs in the Liber Albus (iii. 380).   Cark is thus a doublet of charge; see Charge.   Cotgrave gives F. charge, sb., 'a load, burthen, fardle, also a charge, hinderance, or cause of extraordinary expence;' &c.   I may add that we even find kark or karke, a load, in English; for in Arnold's Chron., 1502 (ed. 1811), p. 99, we find mention of 'a karke of peper' and a 'kark of gynger.'   Der. cark, verb, spelt carke in Palsgrave, whence the phr. 'cark-ing care'; in the Cursor Mundi, we find 'carkid (also charkid) wit care,' ll. 23994, 24870; see also l. 24233, where another reading is charge.