Where does “roadwork” come from?

roadwork (English) comes from English road, from Middle English rode, from Old English rād, from Proto-West Germanic raidu, from Proto-Germanic raidō, from Proto-Germanic rīdaną, from Proto-Indo-European rēydʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.

roadwork (English): The construction or maintenance done to roads;...

Definitions

  1. The construction or maintenance done to roads;...

Ancestry of “roadwork”, step by step

roadwork traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English road

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishroadA way used for travelling between places,...
2Middle EnglishrodeA cross or gibbet; The cross of Christ; The cross...
3Old Englishrādroad; riding, hostile incursion; riding, road
4Proto-West Germanicraiduriding, ride
5Proto-Germanicraidōride, journey; name of the R-rune
6Proto-Germanicrīdanąto ride
7Proto-Indo-Europeanrēydʰ-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

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 h₂er-