Waurk

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Scots word for labour, toil or a piece of work to be done ; to exert effort or labour at a task
2. A Scottish term meaning a job, task or piece of labour ; to carry on working or toiling at something
3. Northern and Scots dialect for work as a noun meaning employment or a task ; as a verb meaning to labour or be occupied at a job

Etymology: Scots "waurk" is a regional form of the English word "work," and the two come from the same Old English root, "weorc." Over the centuries, English and Scots took that vowel in different directions. In southern English it rounded to the familiar "work" sound, while in Scots the vowel stayed open, closer to "wark." The "au" spelling is a Scots convention for that broad vowel, so "waurk" and "wark" are alternate spellings of one pronunciation. Both the noun and the verb follow the same pattern as their English counterparts. The noun can mean labour, a task, or a piece of made work, as in "a day's waurk." The verb covers the same ground as English "to work," from doing a job to operating a machine.

Synonyms: work, labour, toil, graft