Heorcnian

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An Old English verb meaning to listen attentively, or to give ear to what someone is saying
2. To hearken in the manner of early English speakers, paying close heed to a speaker or a sound
3. An archaic Old English word for listening carefully and attending to something that is said

Etymology: Old English "heorcnian" is a verb meaning to listen or pay attention, and it often carried the sense of obeying what one heard. It is the infinitive form, the dictionary citation shape of the verb, and it survives today as "hearken," which English speakers still use mainly in old-fashioned or literary contexts. The Old English spelling varied, with "hercnian" also attested, and the verb appears in surviving texts such as glossaries and religious writing. Its ultimate origin is less certain. It is generally treated as a Germanic word with cognates in other early Germanic languages, but the exact root and its connection to "hear" are not settled, so it is safest to say the two words are related in meaning and possibly in origin without assuming a clean derivation.