Where does “unworkable” come from?
Unworkable derives from English work, which traces through Proto-Indo-European óynos and ano- to the root wreg-, meaning to turn or twist.
unworkable (English): Not workable or operable; not practical;...
Definitions
- Not workable or operable; not practical;...
Ancestry of “unworkable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | workable | Capable of functioning; Able to be worked or... |
| 2 | English | work | "Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to... |
| 3 | Middle English | werk | work |
| 4 | Old English | weorc | work, in various senses, including |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | werk | work |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | werką | work |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wérǵom | work |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵ- | to make |