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LARK (1), the
name of a bird. (E.) Lark is a contraction of lavrock;
see Burns, Holy Fair, st. 1. M.E. larke. Chaucer,
C. T. 1493; spelt laverock, Gower, C. A. ii. 264.—A.S. láwerce,
later láuerce, láverce, láferce. The spelling
lawerce is in Wright's
Vocab. i. 62, col. 2; laverce (for lauerce) in the same, i. 29, col. 1, i. 77,
col. 2. Laferce is in the comp. lafercan-beorh, a place-name cited
in Leo. + Icel. lævirki, a lark. + Low G. lewerke (Bremen Wörterbuch). + O.H.G.
lerehha; G. lerche. + Du. leeuwrik, leeuwerik. + Swed. lärka. + Dan.
lærke. β. The Icel. læ-virki = skilful worker or worker of craft, from
læ, craft, and virki, a worker; cf. Icel. læ-vísi, craft, skill,
læ-víss, crafty, skilful;
and (as to virki), íll-virki, a worker of ill, spell-virki, a doer of
mischief. Similarly, the A.S. láwerce may be decomposed into
lǽw-werca = guile-worker; cf.
lǽwa, a traitor, betrayer, Mark, xiv. 44; also
Goth. lew, an occasion, opportunity (Rom. vii. 8, 11), whence lewjan,
leiwjan,
to betray. The name points to some superstition which regarded the
bird as of ill omen. LARK
(2), a game, sport,
fun. (E.) Spelt lark in modern E., and now a slang
term. But the r is intrusive, and the word is an old one; it should
be laak or lahk, where aa has the sound of a in
father. M.E. lak, lok; also laik, which is a Scand.
form. See Will. of Palerne, 678; P. Plowman, B. xiv. 243; Ormulum,
1157, 2166; Ancren Riwle, p. 152, note b; &c. (Stratmann).—A.S.
lác, play, contest, prey, gift, offering; Grein, ii.
148. + Icel. leikr, a game, play, sport. + Swed. lek, sport. +
Dan. leg, sport. + Goth. laiks, a sport, dance. β. All
from a Teut. base LAIK, to dance, skip for joy, play; cf. Goth. laikan, to skip
for joy, Luke, i. 41, 44, A.S. lácan, Icel. leika, to play; Fick, iii.
259. Der. wed-lock,
know-ledge; see these words.
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