The closest Old English equivalent to "eek" would be "ēac," which means "also" or "too."
However, "eek" as an exclamation likely arose in the Middle English period, possibly as a shortened form of "ech," which was a common word for "each" or "every."
Old English didn't have a direct equivalent of "eek" as an exclamation. It used various interjections and phrases to express surprise, fear, or disgust, depending on the specific emotion. For example:
* Wā! (Woe!) for sorrow or grief.
* Lā! (Lo!) for surprise.
* Hū! (How!) for surprise or amazement.
* Wælā! (Woe!) for lament or mourning.
* Hwæt! (What!) for surprise or challenge.
While "eek" isn't from Old English, it's a fun and expressive word that has been a part of the English language for centuries!