querk

English

Etymology

From Middle English querken, from Old English cwiercan, *cweorcan (“to throttle, smother”), from *cweorc (“throat”), from Proto-Germanic *kwerkō (“gullet, throat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷergʷ-, *gʷerkʷ-, *gʷerw- (“throat, neck”). Cognate with North Frisian querke, quirke (“to querk”), Danish kværke (“to throttle, strangle, suffocate”), Icelandic kyrkja, kvirkja (“to throttle, strangle”), Latin gurguliō (“throat”). More at gurgle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwɜːk/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)k
• Homophone: quirk

Verb

querk (third-person singular simple present querks, present participle querking, simple past and past participle querked)

1. (transitive) To throttle; choke; stifle; suffocate.
2. (intransitive) To grunt; moan.

Related terms

• querken