Where does “workaholic” come from?

Workaholic comes from English work and the suffix -holic, with work deriving from Old English wyrċan, Proto-Germanic wurkijaną, and Proto-Indo-European werǵ-, ultimately from the root wer- meaning to do or make.

workaholic (English): A person who feels compelled to work excessively;...

Definitions

  1. A person who feels compelled to work excessively;...

Ancestry of “workaholic”, step by step

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

Words derived from “workaholic”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wérǵom →Every word from Proto-Germanic werką →