bark etymology

Etymology

The word "bark" has multiple origins:

• Old Norse: "barr", meaning "bark of a tree" or "skin of an animal"
• Middle English: "barke", borrowed from Old Norse
• Old High German: "parh", meaning "bark" or "skin"
• Latin: "cortex", meaning "bark" or "skin"

Meaning

"Bark" has several related meanings:

• Outer layer of a tree trunk: The hard, protective layer that covers the tree's wood.
• Outer layer of some animal hides: The tough, fibrous layer that covers the skin of certain animals, such as dogs and seals.
• A loud vocalization of animals: A deep, sharp sound made by dogs, seals, and other animals.
• A small boat powered by sails: A type of small watercraft with sails.

Origin

The concept of "bark" as the outer layer of a tree or animal has been recognized for centuries. The term "barr" was used in Old Norse to refer to both tree bark and animal skin. Over time, the word evolved into "bark" in English, retaining its original meanings.

The meaning of "bark" as a vocalization likely originated from the sound made by dogs. The word "bark" is onomatopoeic, meaning it imitates the actual sound produced by the animal.

The term "bark" for a small boat is derived from its resemblance to the bark of a tree. The sails of a bark boat are similar in shape and texture to the bark of a tree, hence the name.

bark relate terms

• barge

  Etymology Middle English barge from Old French barje barche ultimately from Middle

• birch

  Etymology The word birch comes from the Old English word beorc or beorce which is

• rind

  Etymology The word rind is derived from the Old Norse word rindr meaning bark or

• skin

  Etymology Proto Indo European sḱi meaning to cut to peel Meaning Skin refers

• waffle

  Etymology The term waffle comes from the Middle Dutch word wafel meaning honeycomb

• loft

  Etymology Middle English loft from Old Norse lopt floor of a barn Proto Germanic

• cork

  Etymology The word cork derives from the Latin word cortex which means bark Mea

• nacelle

  Etymology French nacelle Latin navicella diminutive of navis ship Greek ναῦ

• rend

  Etymology The word rend comes from Middle English renden which in turn stems from Ol

• rock

  Etymology The word rock originates from the Old English word rocc which meant a la

• mouth

  Etymology The word mouth comes from the Old English word mūþ which is believed to

• noise

  Etymology Old French noyse from Latin nausea seasickness nausea Meaning Any