wirken

Meaning

1. (intransitive,weak) to function, to be effective, to work
2. (copulative,impersonal,sometimes,weak) to appear, to seem
3. (intransitive,weak) to have an effect
4. (transitive,weak) to perform (some action), to achieve (some effect), to work (cause to happen), to cast (a spell)
5. (intransitive,weak) to work or be active in a certain field or activity
6. (intransitive,weak) to work
7. (intransitive,weak) to take effect, to be effective
8. (weak) to knit (with yarn), to brocade
9. (weak) to knead

Hyphenated as

wir‧ken

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈvɪrkən/

Etymology

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. 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.