Prone to refusing or resisting; acting with stubborn reluctance or hesitation.
From 'balk' plus the adjective-forming suffix '-y'. The suffix '-y' converts nouns and verbs into adjectives meaning 'having the quality of' or 'prone to.'
A 'balky horse' or 'balky engine' behaves unpredictably—it might work, it might refuse. The word captures that maddening uncertainty, which is why it's survived in modern English better than 'balkish.'
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