Where does “werkstraf” come from?
werkstraf (Dutch) comes from Dutch straf, from Dutch straffe, from Dutch straffen, from Middle Dutch straffen, from Middle High German strāfen, from Proto-Germanic strēpōną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter(h₁)- — to be stiff; be rigid; exert.
werkstraf (Dutch): community service as a substitute for a jail sentence
Definitions
- community service as a substitute for a jail sentence
Ancestry of “werkstraf”, step by step
werkstraf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch straf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | straf | punishment, penalty, sanction; heavy, hefty;... |
| 2 | Dutch | straffe | |
| 3 | Dutch | straffen | to punish; to sentence; plural of straf |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | straffen | to scold, to reprimand; to refute; to punish |
| 5 | Middle High German | strāfen | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | strēpōną | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter(h₁)- | to be stiff; be rigid; exert |
via Dutch werken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | werken | to work, labour; to work, to be effective; to... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | werken | to act; to work; to practice |
| 3 | Old Dutch | wirken | to work; to build, to make |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wirkijan | to work; to make |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wirkijaną | to make, produce; to effect, make happen |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵ- | to make |