Where does “needlework” come from?

Needlework comes from Middle English -work and Old English -weorc, from Proto-Germanic nēþlō meaning needle, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁- meaning to spin or twist.

needlework (English): the art or process of working with a needle...

Definitions

  1. the art or process of working with a needle...

Ancestry of “needlework”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishneedleA fine, sharp implement usually for piercing such...
2Middle Englishnedleneedle
3Old Englishnǣdl—
4Proto-Germanic*nāþlu—
5Proto-Germanicnēþlōneedle
6Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₁-to spin (thread), to sew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁- →
needlework — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer