- 1
Hearken means to listen, and to listen with care. You hearken when you give your ears and your mind to what is being said. Though actually, almost nobody says this in ordinary talk any more. You will meet it in the Bible, in old poems, and in a high, old-fashioned voice: Hearken to me. Younger people would just say listen. There is also hearken back, meaning to look back to an earlier time, though many writers prefer hark back for that. The spelling was probably pulled toward hear, because people felt the two words belonged together.
傾聽、側耳聽（文語、古語；日常就說 listen）
組成Built as hark（聽）+ -en. From Middle English herkenen, from Old English hercnian / heorcnian, from an older verb meaning ‘hark’. Further back it is the same deep family as hear: a very old idea of being sharp-eared (sharp + ear). The spelling of the English word was probably influenced by hear.
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
hearkenverb/ˈhɑːk(ə)n/
- 1
To hear (something) with attention; to have regard to (something).
- Thenceforth ſhe paſt into his dreadfull den, / VVhere nought but darkeſome drerineſſe ſhe found, / Ne creature ſaw, but hearkned now and then / Some little whiſpering, and ſoft groaning ſound.
- This King of Naples being an Enemy / To me inueterate, hearkens my Brothers ſuit, / Which was, That he in lieu o' th' premiſes, / Of homage, and I know not how much Tribute, / Should preſently extirpate me and mine / Out of the Dukedome, and confer faire Milane / With all the Honors, on my brother: […]
- 2
To listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered; to hear with attention, compliance, or obedience.
- Who ſo hearkeneth vnto me, ſhal not come to confuſion, & they that worke by me, ſhal not offende; [they that make me to be knowen, ſhal haue euerlaſting life.]
- She hearkens for his hounds and for his horn: / Anon she hears them chant it lustily, / And all in haste she coasteth to the cry.
- 3
obsoleteTo enquire; to seek information.
- Claudio. Hearken after their offence my Lord. / Prince. Officers, what offence haue theſe men done?
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。