Hark and Hearken

Hark and hearken (also harken) both mean to listen with attention, heed

hearken is from Old English hercnian and from the I-E root *keu which is also the source of hear and of Greek akou/ein > acoustic

The idiom hark back means "to return to a previous point"

This is often heard as "hearken back" which has become so common that it may now be correct.

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