wirken

• würken (obsolete)

From Middle High German wirken, from Old High German wirken, from Proto-West Germanic *wirkijan, from Proto-Germanic *wirkijaną.

Early on merged with Middle High German würken, from Old High German wurken, from Proto-West Germanic *wurkijan, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną, closely related to the first-mentioned verb.^[1] The i-form prevailed in Central German, the ü-form in Upper German; the latter was displaced from the written language in the 18th century.

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪrkən/, [ˈvɪʁ.kŋ̍], [ˈvɪɐ̯-], [ʋ-], [-kən]

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• Hyphenation: wir‧ken

wirken (weak, third-person singular present wirkt, past tense wirkte, past participle gewirkt, auxiliary haben)

1. (intransitive) to function, to be effective, to work

   Das neue Medikament wirkt nicht so gut wie Aspirin.

   The new medicine doesn't work as well as aspirin.

   Dieser Köder wirkt wie ein Fischmagnet.

   This bait works like a fish magnet.

2. (copulative, sometimes impersonal) to appear, to seem [with auf (+ accusative) ‘to someone’]

   Dieses Essen wirkt etwas fade.

   This food seems a little bland.

   Es wirkt, als wollten sie das Projekt abbrechen.

   It seems like they want to cancel the project.

   Du wirkst seltsam auf mich.

   You seem strange to me.

3. (intransitive) to have an effect [with auf (+ accusative) ‘on someone/something’]

   Lassen Sie die einzigartige Landschaft auf sich wirken.

   Let the unique landscape have its effect on you.

4. (transitive) to perform (some action), to achieve (some effect), to work (cause to happen), to cast (a spell)

   Die Therapie wirkt Wunder bei meiner Arthritis.

   The therapy works wonders for my arthritis.

5. (intransitive) to work or be active in a certain field or activity

   Ich habe einige Jahre als Architekt gewirkt.

   I worked as an architect for several years.

6. (intransitive) to work [with für (+ accusative) ‘for/toward a goal or for a cause’]

   Wir wirken für den Frieden und den Schutz der Umwelt.

   We work for peace and the protection of the environment.

7. (intransitive) to take effect, to be effective

   Die neue Regel wirkt ab sofort.

   The new rule is effective immediately.

8. (manufacturing) to knit (with yarn), to brocade
9. (baking) to knead

• Werk
• werken

• “wirken” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “wirken” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “wirken” in Duden online
• “wirken” in OpenThesaurus.de
• wirken on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

From Proto-West Germanic *wirkijan.

wirken

1. to work
2. to build, to make

• Middle Dutch: werken
  • Dutch: werken
    • Afrikaans: werk
  • Limburgish: wèrke

• “wirken”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012