Fyrk

A fyrk was a monetary unit used in Sweden in the 15th to 17th century, with a value of between 1/6 and 1/2 öre. The word is derived from Middle Low German "vereken" ("vierichen") and ultimately from "ver" or "vier", a monetary unit (from "vier", "four"). The word remained in use after the monetary unit had been abolished in the general sense of "small money", "pennies", "an insignificant sum".

With the Swedish municipal reform 1862, the unit fyrk was re-used as a unit for counting voting rights in the municipal election. Voting rights were graded according to income and assets, counted in "fyrks" and recorded in the "fyrktalslängd", the "fyrk counting list" for each municipality. It was in use from 1863-1909. The "vägfyrk" or "road fyrk", a unit for road tax, remained in use until 1937.

References

* [http://g3.spraakdata.gu.se/saob/show.phtml?filenr=1/76/19234.html "Fyrk"] in Svenska Akademiens Ordbok
* [http://runeberg.org/nfbi/0085.html "Fyrk"] in Nordisk familjebok, vol 9 (1908)
*Nationalencyklopedin, s.v. "Fyrk"