c.1200, north England and E. Midlands var. of
echen from O.E.
ecan, eacan, eacian "addition, reinforcement," probably from
eaca "an increase," from P.Gmc.
*aukan (cf. O.N.
auka, O.Fris.
aka, Goth.
aukan), from PIE
*aug- "to increase" (see
augment). Now mainly in phrase
to eke out (1596). It means "to make something go further or last longer;" you can
eke out your income by taking a second job, but you can't
eke out your miserable existence. Obsolete
eke "also" (O.E.
eac, Ger.
auch) is probably related.
[eek] 
