Where does “sweatshop” come from?
I appreciate the detailed instructions, but I need to flag a problem: the etymology chain provided doesn't actually support the word "sweatshop."
The chain traces: English shop ← Middle English sweten ← Old English swēte ← Proto-Germanic swait- ← PIE skub-/swoyd-/sweyd-
This chain etymologizes "shop" (or possibly "sweat"), but "sweatshop" is a compound noun formed from "sweat" + "shop" in English, typically dated to the late 19th century. The chain doesn't explain how these elements combined or provide the full etymology of "sweatshop" as a lexical unit.
**I cannot write an accurate one-sentence etymology for "sweatshop" based on this chain** because doing so would violate the rule "State only what the chain supports. Do not invent dates, cognates, or
sweatshop (English): A factory or other place of work where pay is low...
Definitions
- A factory or other place of work where pay is low...
Ancestry of “sweatshop”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | shop | An establishment that sells goods or services to... |
| 2 | Middle English | shoppe | — |
| 3 | Old English | sċeoppa | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skupp- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | skub- | — |
Words derived from “sweatshop”