>> and even xok [shok] "shark" – English shark
> Kurath's Middle English Dictionary ...resets the etymology of <shark> back
> to "unknown".
I thought the words was well known.
Skeat's etymological dictionary:
"The name of the fish is from the Tudor verb to shark = to prowl. Probably
from North Fr (Picard) cherquier equivalent to OFr cercher later altered to
mod.F chercher. If this be right to shark is a variant of to search..."
If correct, this means shark is related to search and circus.
Peter