Syke
/saɪk/noun
A small stream or ditch, especially one running through marshy or peaty ground.
Did you know?Syke survives mainly in northern English and Scots dialects, especially in place-names across areas shaped by marshes, peat, and upland drainage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sīkō
“A small stream, ditch, or watercourse”
Old English
Old English
sīc
“A small stream or ditch”
Old Norse
Old Norse
sík
“A narrow stream or drainage channel”
Middle English
Middle English
sike
“A small stream, ditch, or marshy watercourse”
15th Century
Northern English
syke
“A small stream, especially one flowing through peaty ground”
Modern English
English
syke
“A dialectal term for a small stream or ditch”