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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1824, 1923

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WHIRKEN, v. Also whurken and erron. or corrupt form thwricken. tr. To choke, suffocate (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., whirken, whurken), to strangle (Rxb. 1825 Jam., whurken, 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in Eng. dial.; also intr. to be suffocated, as from thick smoke (Rxb. 1825 Jam., thwricken). [′ʍɪrkən]s.Sc. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ballads 62:
A rumbling noise they hearde aneathe, And a whirk'ning reek they fand.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Whurken't wi' asma.

[Mid.Eng., E.M.E. querken, whirken, to choke, strangle, deriv. form prob. of Scand. orig., ad. O.N. kverk, the throat. Cf. Norw. dial. kverkna, to be choked, O. Norw. kvirkja, O.N. kyrkja, to strangle. For th- forms cf. notes to Whang, White, and W, letter, 7. (2) (iii).]

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"Whirken v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/whirken>

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