erk

erk

See also: Erk

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k

Etymology 1

Claimed to be a respelling of the abbreviation airc for aircraftsman[1]; or else from irk.[2]

Noun

erk (plural erks)

1. (Britain, slang) A member of the groundcrew in the RAF.
   • 2004, Andrea Levy, Small Island, London: Review, Chapter Nine, p. 345,

     But I wasn’t accepted for flying duty—eyesight failed me. Neither was Frank, which, I’m ashamed to say, I found a relief. We were both channelled as aircrafthands, known to everyone as erks.

References

1. Eric Partridge A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul) 1970, pg. 1123.
2. Eric Partridge A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul) 1937, pg. 258.

Interjection

erk

1. (colloquial) An expression of trepidation; eek.
2. (Australia, colloquial) An expression of revulsion or disgust; yuck.
   • 1959, D'Arcy Niland, The Big Smoke, page 43:

     ‘Gawd, erk!’ She recoiled and turned away.

   • 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, page 29:

     ‘Erk! What’s that big ugly growth you’ve got?’

Derived terms

• erky

Anagrams

• Ker, RKE, ker-

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Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *herkkä. Cognate to Finnish herkkä (“delicate, sensitive”), Livonian erk (“lively”), and Votic herkkõ (“gentle”). See also ere.

Adjective

erk (genitive ergu, partitive erku, comparative ergum, superlative kõige ergum) or
erk (genitive erga, partitive erka, comparative ergam, superlative kõige ergam)

1. lively, energetic, vivacious
2. snappy, alert, sharp, ready to react
3. bright, vivid, intense

Declension

Declension of erk (type riik)

	singular	plural
nominative	erk	ergud
genitive	ergu	erkude
partitive	erku	erke / erkusid
illative	erku / ergusse	erkudesse / ergesse
inessive	ergus	erkudes / erges
elative	ergust	erkudest / ergest
allative	ergule	erkudele / ergele
adessive	ergul	erkudel / ergel
ablative	ergult	erkudelt / ergelt
translative	erguks	erkudeks / ergeks
terminative	erguni	erkudeni
essive	erguna	erkudena
abessive	erguta	erkudeta
comitative	erguga	erkudega

Declension of erk (type riik)

	singular	plural
nominative	erk	ergad
genitive	erga	erkade
partitive	erka	erke / erkasid
illative	erka / ergasse	erkadesse / ergesse
inessive	ergas	erkades / erges
elative	ergast	erkadest / ergest
allative	ergale	erkadele / ergele
adessive	ergal	erkadel / ergel
ablative	ergalt	erkadelt / ergelt
translative	ergaks	erkadeks / ergeks
terminative	ergani	erkadeni
essive	ergana	erkadena
abessive	ergata	erkadeta
comitative	ergaga	erkadega

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Tocharian B

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

erk ?

1. (anatomy) testicle

Derived terms

• erkatse (“painfully”) (possibly)
• Erkätsole (given name) (possibly)

Further reading

• Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), “erk”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN

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Turkish

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *erk.

Noun

erk (definite accusative erki, plural erkler)

1. ability to have a say in (power to influence)
2. penetration
3. The authority or ability of an individual, a society, to dominate, oppress and control other individuals, groups, or societies, interfere with their freedoms, and force them to behave in certain ways. (Exact official meaning in TDK)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	erk
Definite accusative	erki
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	erk	erkler
Definite accusative	erki	erkleri
Dative	erke	erklere
Locative	erkte	erklerde
Ablative	erkten	erklerden
Genitive	erkin	erklerin

Derived terms

• erke
• erkek

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Uyghur

Noun

erk

1. freedom; liberty

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Uzbek

Noun

erk (plural erklar)

1. freedom; liberty