a hunter's shout to hounds, as to encourage them in following the scent.
Verb phrases
4.
hark back,
a.
(of hounds) to return along the course in order to regain a lost scent.
b.
to return to a previous subject or point; revert: He kept harking back to his early days in vaudeville.
Origin: 1175–1225;Middle Englishherken, earlier herkien,Old English*heorcian; cognate with Old Frisianherkia, harkia; akin to Middle Dutchharken,Middle High German,Germanhorchen. See hearken, hear
c.1175, from O.E. *heorcian (related to hearken), an intensive form from base of hieran (see hear). To hark back (1829) originally refers to hounds returning along a track when the scent has been lost, till they find it again.