Parke

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An old spelling of the word park, meaning an enclosed tract of land kept for hunting or grazing game
2. Archaic form of park referring to a walled area of land reserved for deer, game, or the private use of a lord
3. A former spelling of park used for an enclosed piece of ground set aside for animals or for an estate

Etymology: Before it meant a leafy public green, this word meant a walled enclosure of land kept for deer and other game, where a lord controlled who hunted. The spelling "parke" is an older form of "park", common in medieval English before the modern spelling settled. It came into English from Old French "parc", which was borrowed from Medieval Latin "parricus", meaning an enclosed area. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though a Germanic source is often proposed. The sense of an enclosure spread from hunting grounds to royal estates and gardens, and later to the open public spaces we now call parks.