Where does “earthwork” come from?

Earthwork comes from Middle English erthe and Old English wyrċan, derived from Proto-Germanic wurkijaną and ultimately Proto-Indo-European h₁er-, meaning to do or make.

earthwork (English): Any structure made from earth; especially an...

Definitions

  1. Any structure made from earth; especially an...

Ancestry of “earthwork”, step by step

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

Words derived from “earthwork”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wérǵom →Every word from Proto-Germanic werką →
earthwork — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer