English word origin

Etymology of shirk

First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility.

verb

To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from. · To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away. · To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionSchurkede

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Schurke",
        "4": "",
        "5": "rogue, knave"
      },
      "expansion": "German Schurke (“rogue, knave”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "shark",
      "shark#English"
    ],
    [
      "Schurke",
      "Schurke#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One who shirks, who avoids a duty or responsibility."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.",
        "To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.",
        "To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or someone can share in the oneness of God).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Arabic شِرْك (širk).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "ar:شِرْك",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"شِرْك\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"shirk\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"shirk\">\nBorrowed from Arabic شِرْك (širk)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "ar:شِرْك",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Arabic شِرْك (širk)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "شِرْك",
      "شرك#Arabic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The unforgivable sin of association (claiming something or someone can share in the oneness of God)."
      ],
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        "uncountable"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for shirk →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-c2hpcms