Chirked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce a cheerful sound like a chirp or a pleasant high-pitched noise
2. To make a brief, joyful exclamation typically associated with small birds or similar creatures
3. To express delight or happiness through a light, quick sound resembling a tweet or chirp

Etymology: "Chirked" is the past tense of "chirk," a verb meaning to make a cheerful sound or to become lively. The surprise is that its ancestor meant something quite harsh. Old English "ċearcian" meant to chatter, creak, or crash, a noisy, grating sound rather than anything merry. It grew out of a Proto-West Germanic root "*krakōn," meaning to make a sound or crack, which is also the source of the modern words "crake" and "crack." Over the Middle English period, the word took the form "chirken," "cherken," or "charken," and its sense softened from harsh noise toward a lighter, more cheerful sound. Its doublet "chark," which kept the older harsh sense of creaking and crashing, shows the split between the two branches of this family.

Synonyms: cheered, brightened

Antonyms: saddened