† awk, a. (adv., n.) Obs.
(ɔːk)
Also 5–7 awke, 6–7 auk(e, 7 awck.
[prob. a. ON. afug, öfug, öfig (Sw. afvig) turned the wrong way, back foremost, cogn. with OHG. apuh, apah, MHG. ebech, ebich, mod.G. dial. äbich, OS. aƀich, aƀoh; a deriv. of af away, identified by Fick with OSkr. apák, apáñch ‘turned away.’ Old Northumbrian has *afuh in afu(h)lic ‘perverse,’ in Prol. to Lindisf. Gospels; but the later use of the word was probably from ON. The phonetic change of afug to awk, is the same as in hafoc, hawk.]
A. adj.
1. Directed the other way or in the wrong direction, back-handed, from the left hand.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 18 Awke or wronge, sinister. 1530 Palsgr. 196 Auke stroke, reuers. 1557 K. Arthur (Copl.) v. x, With an awke stroke gaue hym a grete wounde. 1634 Malory's Arthur i. xcvii. 172. |
2. Untoward, froward, perverse, in nature or disposition.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 18 Awke or angry, contrarius, bilosus, perversus. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 25 A preposterous maner in judging, and an awke wit. 1587 Golding De Mornay xix. (1617) 331 The awk opinions of the Stoicks. 1642 Rogers Naaman 836 Our natures more crooked, inconstant, awk, and perverse. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. ii. 533 The soul, awke and listlesse enough to any duty. |
3. Out-of-the-way, odd, strange. rare.
| c 1440 Morte Arth. 13 Off elders of alde tyme and of theire awke dedys. |
4. Untoward to deal with, awkward to use, clumsy.
| 1593 G. Harvey New Lett., The roughest and awkest things are not so cumbersome. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 152 Birds..build nests with such an auk tool, their beak. |
B. adv. in phrases:
1. to ring awk: the wrong way, backward.
| 1636 S. Ward Serm. (1862) 91 When the bells ring awke, every man brings his bucket to the quenching of this fire. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 38 The bells in all the steeples will ring awke. 1694 R. Lestrange Fables ccci, Ringing as Awk as the Bells, to give notice of the Conflagration. |
2. to sing awk: in sinister or ill-omened wise.
| 1600 Holland Livy vi. xli. 247 What if a bird sing auke or crowe crosse and contrarie [occinuerit]? |
C. n. (So the neuter of the adj. in OHG.) Backhandedness, untowardness, awkwardness.
| 1644 Bulwer Chiron. 128 To fling words at his Auditors out of the Auke of utterance. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 108 What we have hitherto spoken, will seem to have less of auk in it. |