Where does “deskwork” come from?

deskwork (English) comes from English desk, from Middle English deske, from Medieval Latin desca, from Old Italian desco, from Latin discus, from Proto-Italic diskō, from Proto-Italic dikskō, from Proto-Indo-European di-dḱ-ské-ti — take; perceive.

deskwork (English): work done at a desk, as by an office worker

Definitions

  1. work done at a desk, as by an office worker

Ancestry of “deskwork”, step by step

deskwork traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English desk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdeskA table, frame, or case, in past centuries...
2Middle EnglishdeskeAlternative form of dosk
3Medieval Latindesca
4Old Italiandesco
5Latindiscusa discus, quoit; a dish shaped like a discus;...
6Proto-Italicdiskōlearn
7Proto-Italicdikskō
8Proto-Indo-Europeandi-dḱ-ské-ti
9Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive

via English work

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwork"Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to...
2Middle Englishwerkwork
3Old Englishweorcwork, in various senses, including
4Proto-West Germanicwerkwork
5Proto-Germanicwerkąwork
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deḱ-
deskwork — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer