Etymology Dictionary

TARRY,  to linger, loiter, delay.  (E.; confused with F.,—L.)   The present form is due to confusion of M.E. tarien, to irritate, with M.E. targen, to delay.   The sense goes with the latter form.   1. M.E. targen, to delay, tarry.   'That time thought the king to targe no lenger;' Alexander, fragment A, l. 211, pr. with Will. of Palerne.—O.F. targer, to tarry, delay; allied to tarder, with the same sense; Cot.—Low Lat. tardicare*, an extension of Lat. tardare (= F. tarder), to delay.—Lat. tardus, slow; see Tardy.   2. M.E. tarien, terien, to irritate, vex, provoke, tire.   'I wol nat tarien you, for it is prime;' Chaucer, C. T. 10387, where it might almost be explained by 'delay.'   In the Prompt. Parv. we have; 'teryyn, or longe abydyn, Moror, pigritor;' but also 'teryyn, or ertyn, Irrito.'—A.S. tergan, to vex; a rare word.   'Tredað þec and tergað and heora torn wrecað' = they will tread on thee and vex thee and wreak their anger; Gúthlác, l. 259.   Closely allied to tirian, to tire; see Tire, Tear (1).   ¶ We also find O.F. tarier, to vex (Burguy); this is the same word, borrowed from O. Du. tergen, 'to vexe' (Hexham), which is cognate with A.S. tergan.   So also G. zergen, Dan. tærge, to irritate; all from ✔DAR, to tear.