What is hearkened?

Hearkened is a past tense verb that means to listen or pay attention to something. It is usually used in narratives or formal language, and can be followed by the prepositions to or onto. The term is often used to imply a sense of obedience or compliance, as in "The workers hearkened to their employer's orders." The word has its roots in Old English and has been used in literature and speech for centuries. It is often associated with older, archaic forms of language and is not commonly used in everyday speech.