berk

See also: Berk and bərk

English

Etymology

The usage dates from the 1930s; berk is a shortened version of Berkeley Hunt, the hunt based at Berkeley Castle, in Gloucestershire. In Cockney rhyming slang, hunt is a rhyme for cunt, giving the word its original slang meaning.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɜː(ɹ)k/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k
• Homophone: birk

Noun

berk (plural berks)

1. (Britain, slang, derogatory, sometimes endearing) A fool, prat, twit.
2. (Cockney rhyming slang, vulgar) Cunt.

Usage notes

Not perceived as excessively rude, perhaps because its origin in rhyming slang is not well known.

See also

• Belvoir (pronounced Beaver)

References

• Chambers Dictionary: Entry for berk
• Cassell's Dictionary of Slang. Jonathon Green. Pub. Cassel & Co. →ISBN

Anagrams

• brek, kerb

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Albanian

Etymology 1

From berr (cf. derk from derr).

Noun

berk m (indefinite plural berqe, definite singular berku, definite plural berqet)

1. goat

Declension

declension of berk

	indefinite forms (trajta të pashquara)			definite forms (trajta të shquara)
	singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)		singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)
nominative (emërore)	berk	berqe		berku	berqet
accusative (kallëzore)	berk	berqe		berkun	berqet
genitive (gjinore) (i/e/të/së)	berku	berqeve		berkut	berqevet
dative (dhanore)	berku	berqeve		berkut	berqevet
ablative (rrjedhore)	berku	berqesh		berkut	berqevet

Related terms

• berr

Etymology 2

From Proto-Albanian *bardz(i)ka, from *bardza > bardhë (“white”). Similar sense development as in barmë.

Noun

berk m (indefinite plural berqe, definite singular berku, definite plural berqet)

1. (botany) sapwood, alburnum
2. (dialectal) bark

Declension

declension of berk

	indefinite forms (trajta të pashquara)			definite forms (trajta të shquara)
	singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)		singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)
nominative (emërore)	berk	berqe		berku	berqet
accusative (kallëzore)	berk	berqe		berkun	berqet
genitive (gjinore) (i/e/të/së)	berku	berqeve		berkut	berqevet
dative (dhanore)	berku	berqeve		berkut	berqevet
ablative (rrjedhore)	berku	berqesh		berkut	berqevet

Related terms

• barmë

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch berke, from Old Dutch *berka, from Proto-West Germanic *berku, from Proto-Germanic *berkō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵós.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛrk/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: berk
• Rhymes: -ɛrk

Noun

berk m (plural berken, diminutive berkje n)

1. birch, tree of the genus Betula

   Synonym: berkenboom

Derived terms

• berkenboom
• berkenroede
• berkhaan
• berkhoen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: berk

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛʁk/

• Audio

  (file)

Interjection

berk

1. Alternative form of beurk: yuck!

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Turkish

Etymology

From Old Turkic [script needed] (bérk), from Proto-Turkic *berk (“mighty”). Related to pek.

Adjective

berk

1. strong, hard, robust, violent
2. heroic
3. firm, solid

Synonyms

• sert, katı [1]
• sağlam [2]

References

• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) , “berk”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Starostin, Sergei; Dybo, Anna; Mudrak, Oleg (2003) Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill: “*parki”