clerk

[ilovetaz]

what is a clerk

[Peter Pedant]

if people are gonna answer, why dont they at least try to give some info.

a clerk - in English it is Clark and in American  clerk is anyone who writes

initally say a 1000 yrs ago, the only people who wrote were priests or clerics, and so anyone who wrote was called a clerk. One English King Henry I wrote right sweetly in a couth hand and so was named beauclerc. In those times the nobs spoke French for reasons that I wont burden you with.

I bet you're wondering why clerk is pronounced clark ?

yeah that isnt in a dictionary either.

The long a in English was an aaaarrrr until 1375.

In 1375 there was the Great Vowel Shift and long A, aaarrrr became ay.

There were clerks, and farm (French ferme) retains the old prounciation and changes the spelling, and the two old universities are referred to as varsity and the short for dear is darling which retains the old pronounciation when the root doesnt.

[shaneystar]

A person who works in an office performing such tasks as keeping records, attending to correspondence, or filing.

A person who keeps the records and performs the regular business of a court, legislative body, or municipal district.
A law clerk, as for a judge.
A person who works at a sales counter or service desk, as at a store or hotel.
A cleric.
Archaic. A scholar.
This is a good site for understanding words.
http://dictionary.reference.com/

[Tatty Rollox]

..... and here are Sir John and Lady Clerk .........

[brachiopod]

"From 9 to 5 I have to spend my time at work,
My job is very boring I'm an office clerk"

from Echo Beach by Martha & The Muffins circa.1979

[jno]

The surname is still spelt Clark(e). The old pronunciation lingered on into the 18th century in many words - servant was sarvant, merchant was marchant. American backwoodsmen may still say varmint for vermin. As PP says, it comes from cleric.

[Tatty Rollox]

....... and here is a Muffin, and here is a Clarke ....

[ilovetaz]

thanks! I am sorry I in yr 5 and this is for a school project! and i hate lookin in dictoinarys

[jno]

ilovetaz, if dictionaries scare you, you can do it on Google. Just put define: clerk in the search field.

[ilovetaz]

thanks! Its for a Victorian progect and I was just trying to find out what Dr. Barnardo was!

[ilovetaz]

Tatty rolax, how do you get thoose things that you click on and it shows you a pic?