Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 wærc, 3 warche, 5 werk(e, 5–6 warke, 7 warck, 7– warch, 9 wark. [OE. wærc masc. = ON. verk-r (Sw. värk pain, Da. værk gout, rheumatism):—OTeut. *warki-z, from the same root as *werko-m WORK sb.
With the dial. variation between the types wark and warch cf. the similar variation in ME. between like and liche (LIKE a.). The form wark may be partly due to ON. verkr.]
A pain, an ache.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xix. (1890), 322. Seo readnis & bryne þæs swiles & wærces.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 318. Wiþ maʓan wærce wyl pic on cu meolce.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 326. Þet he ne mei … speken ase he schulde, bute gronen uor his eche [MS. T. warche].
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2811. As warysche I my warke [MS. Dubl. werk] þat I am in wonden.
14[?]. Medical Receipts, in Rel. Ant., I. 51. For evel and werke in bledder: take ache, percel [etc.].
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 265. Furth-with a grete warke went þurgh his hand.
1570. Levins, Manip., 32/1. Warke, ache, dolor.
1613. Potts, Discov. Witches, T 3 b. Hee hath beene sore pained with great warch in his bones.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Gloss., Wark … a pain or ache. ‘The belly wark.’
1862. [C. C. Robinson], Dial. Leeds, s.v., Gotten t’ back-wark, shoother-wark, leg-wark …—ne’er wur so done up i’ my life.
