The word "harkened" is spelled with a silent "e" at the end, which is not pronounced. The pronunciation is /ˈhɑːkənd/. The "h" at the beginning is pronounced as a voiceless glottal fricative sound /h/. The "a" is pronounced as a long vowel sound /ɑː/, followed by the soft "r" /r/. The "k" is pronounced as a voiceless velar stop /k/, and the "e" at the end is silent. Overall, the word means to listen attentively or heed someone's advice.
Harkened is the past tense and past participle form of the verb "harken." The term originates from Middle English, derived from the Old English word "heorcian,” which means "to listen attentively or heed." The word "harken" itself is closely related to the word "hark," which means to listen or pay attention.
Harkened refers to the action of attentively listening or paying heed to something or someone. It denotes the act of focusing one's attention on a particular sound, voice, or message. This term is often associated with the act of redirecting one's attention towards a specific source of information or instruction, as well as perceiving or understanding that information. It implies the act of actively engaging one's senses in absorbing or comprehending what is being communicated.
In a figurative sense, harkened can also be used to describe an individual's openness or responsiveness to an idea, suggestion, or advice. It suggests a willingness to consider or take into account the viewpoints and perspectives of others. Harkened can also connote a level of respect and recognition towards the speaker or source of information.
Overall, harkened refers to the act of actively listening, paying attention, and being receptive to auditory stimuli, ideas, opinions, or instructions, both in a literal and figurative sense.
The word "harkened" is derived from the Middle English term "herknen", which itself evolved from the Old English word "heorcnian". This Old English term was a combination of the Germanic roots "heorcian" meaning "to listen" and "heorc" meaning "hearing". Over time, "herknen" transformed into "harken" in Middle English, and eventually "harkened" became the past participle form of the verb. The root of "harken" can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "hōrkijaną", which also means "to hearken" or "to listen attentively".