What is hark at? How to use in English

Definition & pronunciation of hark at

hark atphrasal verb
lắng nghe
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Where does the word hark at come from?

The expression "hark at" stems from the Middle English term "herken," meaning "to listen attentively." The Old English word "hercan" originally conveyed this same meaning, but it also carried a denotative shift to "look at" or "regard." In the 14th century, "herken" was transformed into "harken," and it evolved to describe the act of listening obediently or heeding someone's request. Eventually, "harken" would subdivide into two spelling variations: "hark" and "harken." The colloquial phrase "hark at" began to appear in the 19th century when the imperative form of "harken" was shortened to "hark," meaning "listen" or "pay attention." When joined with the preposition "at," which traditionally signifies direction or attention, "hark at" came to mean "listen to intently" or "regard closely." So, in essence, the expression "hark at" is a blending of Middle English's semantic precursors for "listen to" and "look at," which reflects its dual incorporation of listening and observing.

Example of vocabulary hark atnamespace

Hark! Do you hear that? It sounds like the wind is whistling through the trees.
As the orchestra began to play, the conductor commanded the audience to hark as a sign to listen carefully.
The ghostly howl of the wind sent shivers down her spine, causing her to hark in fear.
The sound of hoofbeats echoed in the distance, causing the hunter to hark and draw his hunting rifle.
The judge's voice boomed through the courtroom, urging the jury to hark as he delivered his closing statements.