Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “underworkman” come from?

underworkman (English) comes from English workman, from Middle English werkman, from Old English weorcmann, from Old English weorc, from Proto-West Germanic werk, from Proto-Germanic werką, from Proto-Indo-European wérǵom, from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- — to make.

underworkman (English): An inferior or subordinate labourer

Definitions

  1. An inferior or subordinate labourer

Ancestry of “underworkman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishworkmanA man who labours for wages; An artisan or...
2Middle Englishwerkman—
3Old Englishweorcmannworkman, labourer
4Old Englishweorcwork, in various senses, including
5Proto-West Germanicwerkwork
6Proto-Germanicwerkąwork
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make
Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →