Origin of "arkward"

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Hi,as a german, I quite regularly read english books, magazines and newspapers (british and american) and watch british and american TV programs. So I am quite sure to know the word "arkward". Today I wanted to read about the exact pronounciation. So I walked to the book shelf and took the OED. Very disappointing, no entry. Webster's: no entry. Encarta's Dictionary: no entry.What is the etymology of arkward, how old is this word?Can anyone help?RegardsRalph

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]as a german, I quite regularly read english books, magazines and newspapers (british and american) and watch british and american ... walked to the book shelf and took the OED. Very disappointing, no entry. Webster's: no entry. Encarta's Dictionary: no entry.[/nq]
That's because there ain't no such animal as 'arkward'. Are you sure it's not a hyperrhotic (meaning: "puts in 'r's where they have no business being") pronunciation of 'awkward'? If not, can you please use it in a sentence?
Then again, maybe it's a real word, referring to Noah's vessel: the pairs of animals all proceeded arkward until the ship was full.

-=Eric

Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare. Blair Houghton.

Usenet · Answer

Eric Schwartz (Email Removed) schrieb:
[nq:1]That's because there ain't no such animal as 'arkward'. Are you sure it's not a hyperrhotic (meaning: "puts in 'r's ... it's a real word, referring to Noah's vessel: the pairs of animals all proceeded arkward until the ship was full.[/nq]
Well, the ark-thing did it :-)
I read "arkward" in an english messageboard today and didn't recognize the wrong "r", maybe because I did not know the correct pronounciation...
Thanks,
RB

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]as a german, I quite regularly read english books, magazines ... disappointing, no entry. Webster's: no entry. Encarta's Dictionary: no entry.[/nq]
[nq:1]That's because there ain't no such animal as 'arkward'. Are you sure it's not a hyperrhotic (meaning: "puts in 'r's ... it's a real word, referring to Noah's vessel: the pairs of animals all proceeded arkward until the ship was full.[/nq]
Maybe it's one of the animals from Noah's vessel:
"aardvark" MW
Main Entry: aard·vark
Pronunciation: 'ärd-"värk
Function: noun
Etymology: obsolete Afrikaans (now erdvark), from Afrikaans aard earth + vark pig
Date: 1827
a large burrowing nocturnal ungulate mammal (Orycteropus afer) of sub-Saharan Africa that has a long snout, extensile tongue, powerful claws, large ears, and heavy tail and feeds especially on termites and ants (aardvark illustration)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]That's because there ain't no such animal as 'arkward'. Are ... of animals all proceeded arkward until the ship was full.[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, the ark-thing did it :-) I read "arkward" in an english messageboard today and didn't recognize the wrong "r", maybe because I did not know the correct pronounciation...[/nq]
He knew which word you were referring to. He was simply being a smart-***. In a rather clever way though, I thought.

This, from the OED, may answer your question about the etymology of the word, even though it is a bit obscure:
(f. awk a. + -ward, i.e. 'in an awk direction'; cf. forward, backward. Like other adverbs in -ward, at length also used adjectively, cf. to go forward, a forward motion, a forward youth.)
A good dictionary in its own right which also includes pronunciations for a large number of words is Merriam-Webster's Collegiate on CD. Although, frankly, I think the woman got it wrong with 'awkward'. Wrong in the sense that's not the way I pronounce it.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]He knew which word you were referring to. He was simply being a smart-***. In a rather clever way though, I thought.[/nq]
Thanks, I think. Actually, while I was reasonably certain, I thought it might have been one NNES writing to another, with a third (our OP) watching, and so maybe some other word was meant, which is why I asked for an example if I was wrong.
-=Eric

Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare. Blair Houghton.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi, as a german, I quite regularly read english books, magazines and newspapers (british and american) and watch british and ... no entry. Webster's: no entry. Encarta's Dictionary: no entry. What is the etymology of arkward, how old is this word?[/nq]
As old as Noah.
Anyone who didn't go arkward snuffed it.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What is the etymology of arkward, how old is this word?[/nq]
I think you mean "erkward", which means "in the direction of the Peninsula".

Origin of "arkward"

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