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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 tak
c. 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 lofts
b. 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 139.
The said Elspeth, going in ȝour seller, quhilk was dungeon mirk
c. a1500 Henr. III. 99/85. Ib. 100/116.
Quhair scho was wont to sit full merk In that deip dungeoun
d. 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 firmilie
b. 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 God
c. 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 intelligence
d. 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

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"Mirk adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mirk_adj>

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