Where does “wet work” come from?

wet work (English) comes from English work, from Middle English werk, 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.

wet work (English): Covert assassination performed by government...

Definitions

  1. Covert assassination performed by government...

Ancestry of “wet work”, step by step

wet work traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English wet

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwetMade up of liquid or moisture, usually water; Of...
2Middle Englishwetwet, watery; wet, rainy; liquid, fluid
3Middle Englishwetento wet
4Old Englishwǣtanto wet, moisten, water
5Proto-Germanicwētijanąto wet; make wet
6Indo-European*wed-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wérǵom →Every word from Proto-Germanic werką →