Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 arg (WS. earg, earʓ, earh), 2–3 erȝ, arȝ, 3 ærh, arh, eærȝh, eruh, erew, areu, arewe, areȝ, 3–5 arwe, 4–5 argh, 5 arwhe, arow(e. Sc. 6– arch, 9 argh, ergh, erf, arrow; north Eng. 7– arf. [com. Teut.; cogn. w. ON. argr (Sw. and Da. arg), OHG. ark, mod.G., Du. arg, OFris. arg, ergh:—OTeut. *arg-oz.]
1. Cowardly, pusillanimous, timid, fearful. (Still in north. dial.)
c. 885. K. Ælfred, Bæda, I. xii. (Bosw.). Se earʓa féðe Brytta.
c. 1205. Lay., 4336. Þu eart swa eærȝh cniht.
c. 1230. Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 277. Arh ich was meself and wah.
a. 1230. Ancr. R., 288. He, kene þet was ær eruh.
1297. R. Glouc., 457. His hert arwe as an hare.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, VI. 2540. If Elinus be argh, & ournes for ferde.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 14/2. Arwe, or ferefulle (1499 arwhe, arowe, or ferdfull), Timidus pavidus.
a. 1450. York Myst., Barbers, L viij b. So am I arow to do þat dede.
1483. Cath. Angl., Arghe, pusillanimis.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 621. King Duncane so arch ane man wes he.
1691. Ray, N. Countr. Words, Arf, afraid.
a. 1800. R. Jamieson, Pop. Ball., I. 233. Fearful will it be to me, I’m erch, or a’ be o’er.
1808. Jamieson, Sc. Dict., Arch, argh, ergh, erf.
1875. Robinson, Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.), Arf or arfish, afraid, reluctant: ‘I felt arfish i’ t’ dark.’
2. Inert, sluggish, lazy, slow, loath, reluctant. (Still in north. dial.)
a. 1000. Gnom. Vers. (Gr.), 188. Ful oft mon wearnum tihð earʓne.
c. 1200. Moral Ode, 16. Erȝe [v.r. erewe, arȝe, ærwe] we beoð to donne god.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. vii. 119. The pepil haill grantis that thai wayt … bot thai ar arch to schaw.
1813. D. Anderson, Poems, 116 (Jam.). An’ rogues of Jews, they are nae arrow Wi’ tricks fu’ sly.
1877. Holderness Gl. (E.D.S.), Arf, Arfish, unwilling, indisposed, disinclined: ‘He’s nobbut varry arfish te begin.’
† 3. Vile, base, good-for-nothing. (So in Ger.) Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xii. 39. Cneorisse yflo & árʓ becon soecas.
† 4. as sb. ? Wretch, betrayer, enemy. Obs.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 228, in O. E. Misc., 117. Gif þu hauist sorwe, ne say þu hit þin areȝe [v.r. arewe, erewe].
