dark
With little or no light; not bright or illuminated.
Etymology
From Old English deorc, from Proto-Germanic *derkaz. The PIE origin is uncertain and debated. Some scholars tentatively connect it to a root *dʰerg- "to make dark, to dim," but cognates outside Germanic are scarce. Middle High German terken "to soil, make dirty" is a possible related form. The word may be a Germanic innovation or substrate borrowing.
The Journey: (disputed) → dark
*dʰergʰ-
*derkaz
deorc
dark
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root (disputed). They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Old Irish | derg (red, blood-dark) |
| Old Norse | (none direct) |
| Lithuanian | (none direct) |
| Old High German | tarchannen (to hide) |
| Middle High German | terken (to soil) |
Did You Know?
In Old English, deorc meant not just absence of light but also "hidden, secret, obscure" — the Dark Ages were so called not for literal darkness but for the obscurity of historical records from the period.