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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mirk, Merk, Mark, a. Also: mirke, myrk(e; meirke; murk. [ME. and e.m.E. mirk(e, myrk(e, mirc (13th c.), ME. merk(e (13–14th c.), marke (Towneley Plays), OE. mirce, ON. myrk-r (Sw. mörk, Da. mørk).]

1. Dark (night etc.); dark, murky, lowering (air, cloud, weather etc.).Also in the impers. const., (of the weather) it is (grew etc.) mirk.(1) 1375 Barb. ix. 373 (E).
In a myrk nycht Ib. x. 588. a1400 Leg. S. xiii. 177.
Sa wondire myrke become the ayr Ib. xxx. 529.
Quhen mirkest wes the nycht Ib. xl. 570. 1456 Hay I. 24/15.
The thrid part of the sonne was obscure and mirk Ib. II. 132/11.
The tyme is myrk and blak c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2836.
Ane mirk cloud a1500 Seven S. 868.
Wnder the nychtis myrk scilens 1492 Myll Spect. 290/29. 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 88.
A tempest … als myrk as nycht Ib. iv. iii. 59. Ib. vi. ii. 58.
The layk dyrk Of Acheron gorgeit with fludis myrk Ib. iv. 75. Ib. viii. iv. 164.
Smokis dyrk With huge sop of reyk and flambis myrk 15.. Clar. iii. 692.
At midnicht mirk c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5343. 1570 Leslie 101. a1578 Pitsc. I. 31/14. 1589–90 Ayr Common Good Acc.
Ane cleik … to hing ane bowat on in mirk nychtis 1596 Dalr. I. 195/26. 1597–8 Chron. Perth 6.
The eclips of the sone Setterday callit the mirk Setterday, 25 Februar 1597 1637 Baillie I. 21.(b) c1460 Dietary 42.
Aganis mystis merk(c) 1513 Doug. vi. iv. 43.
Amang the schaddowys and the skuggis mark 1535 Stewart 21187.
Ane schour of haill … Als mark as midnicht a1578 Pitsc. I. 405/34.
And the night was growand mark wpoun thame 1587-99 Hume 20/111. c1650 Spalding II. 476.
How sone the nicht fell mark(2) 1375 Barb. v. 21 (E).
Apon thaim fell the nycht That woux myrk c1420 Wynt. viii. 5957.
[He] Come to Roxburgh, qwhen it wes myrk 1535 Stewart 10467.
It wes so mirk ane styme thai micht nocht se 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3284. 1567 Crim. Trials I. i. 497. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 89/21.(b) 1375 Barb. x. 383 (C).
It wes richt merk [E. myrk]

b. The mirk nycht, the dark night; the darkest part of the night, dead of night. Also (the) mirk midnycht. c. Murk nicht, pitch dark.b. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 322.
Quhen gane is the lycht & cummyne is the myrk nycht c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 102.
As far as the lychtnes of the sone passis the myrknes of the mirk nycht 1549 Compl. 38/4.
I did spaceir vp ande doune but sleipe, The maist part of the myrk nycht(2) 1535 Stewart 10719.
To waill the gait about the mirk midnycht 1567 G. Ball. 141.
At midnycht myrk thay will vs takc. 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS. 12 Apr.
It wes murk nicht … at the ower golf hoill … he hed tuyse ado with hir

2. Of places: Dark, gloomy, without light.b. Dungeon-mirk, dark as a dungeon, pitch-dark. c. (To sit) full merk (= in intense darkness) (in some dark place). d. transf.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xlv. 174.
He gert … in a myrk pressone hire flyng Ib. xlvi. 171.
That place ves lacht & myrk Ib. l. 612.
In till a myrk donieone c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2831.
Ane mirk valee c1475 Wall. v. 293.
Quhill that he cum the myrkest mur amang Ib. ix. 1349. a1500 Henr. Orph. 187.
A ferefull strete Myrk as the nycht a1500 Rauf C. 22. 1490 Irland Mir. II. 73/16.
And thou hauld thi window stekit that thi chawmer be myrk and nocht licht c1515 Asl. MS. I. 159/8.
Est fra Ynd is … the myrk land c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 17.
Ȝour foirstairis makis ȝour housis mirk 1513 Doug. vii. v. 99. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 38/23. 1592 St. A. Kirk S. 728.
The mother … wes sittand in ane mirk chalmer 1635 Grant Chart. 449.
Ane mirk dungeon within ane kill logy(b) 1494 Loutfut MS. 26 b.
And sekis gardingis secrett & merk placis(c) 1582 (1650) Dundee B. Laws 43.
Buying of wool in mark houses and quiet loftsb. 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 139.
The said Elspeth, going in ȝour seller, quhilk was dungeon mirkc. a1500 Henr. III. 99/85. Ib. 100/116.
Quhair scho was wont to sit full merk In that deip dungeound. 1513 Doug. vi. xiv. 52.
Ay quhil thai stand in myrk and law degre

3. a. Ane mirk mirrour.A dark, dim, cloudy mirror; chiefly fig. = a thing obscure or not clear, not easily comprehended. Cf. sense 5 c. a1500 Henr. III. 153/90.
It is ane mirk mirrour, Ane uthir manis ers 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 135.
To me is myrk myrrour ilk mannys menyng a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 70.
A mirk mirrour is a mans minde a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 949.

b. Of the sight: Darkened, dimmed. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. xi. 10.
Be the een of thame made myrk that thai se nocht

4. In comb. with an adj. of colour, as myrk-gray, meirke-broun, = dark (grey, brown).Found only applied to horses.Cf. ON. myrk-blá-r dark blue. 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 288.
Ane myrk gray [horse] of thrie ȝeir auld 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 299.
Ane brown pyat meir and ane myrk gray meir 1623 Hawick Ann. 277. 1697 Old-lore Misc. IX. i. 48.
A meirke broun mear

5. In various fig. uses.a. In spiritual or intellectual darkness; unenlightened, ignorant; ‘blinded’, deluded. b. Wrongful. c. Obscure, difficult to comprehend. (Cf. also 3 a.) d. Gloomy, troubled.a. 1456 Hay I. 24/24.
The Emperour … to be lord and judge … of the temporalitee, the quhilk is merk as nycht a1500 Henr. Fab. 1633 (Bann.).
Oure mirk and deidlye cors materiale Blindis the spirituall operatioun a1500 Seven S. 1487.
Thi mynd is myrk c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. vi. 23.
Gif thin e be waywart, al thi body salbe mirk 1551 Hamilton Cat. 29. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 53/3.
St. Paull … perseuit the membris of Christe in mirk ignorance firmilieb. c1490 Porteous Noblenes 176/18.
Ane noble man of nature … enarmand in ane fals mirk or wrangwis querele … is … dampnit 1551 Hamilton Cat. 30.
Gif our intencion be principally to get any … reward of man, thane is our deid sa done myrke, that is to say displesand and nocht acceptable to Godc. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1077.
A thinge of gret diffyculte And myrke and hard fore to say 1494 Loutfut MS. 18 a.
& rycht clere seand in thingis merk & obscuret a1500 Seven S. 2162.
That Merlyng na merk thing wald mys Ib. 2179. 1533 Gau 72/33.
Be mirk figurs a1568 Bann. MS. p. 29/5.
Aucht questionis of mirk intelligenced. Arundel MS. 256/30.
Drownit in dule, myrk was thi mynd, Mary 1596 Dalr. I. 70/12.
The gret corage … now cheiflie may be seine to schine in that natione in this mirk and mistie tyme