Where does “work” come from?

Work comes from Middle English werk, from Old English wyrċan, from Proto-Germanic wurkijaną, from Proto-Indo-European werǵ-, from Proto-Indo-European wer-, from Proto-Indo-European wreg-.

work (English): "Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to...

Definitions

  1. "Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to...

Ancestry of “work”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwerkwork
2Old Englishweorcwork, in various senses, including
3Proto-West Germanicwerkwork
4Proto-Germanicwerkąwork
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make

Words derived from “work”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →