Where does “workflow” come from?
Workflow derives from English work and flow, which descend from Middle English werk and Old English flōwan, ultimately from Proto-Germanic wurkijaną and Proto-Indo-European wreg- and plew-.
workflow (English): The rate at which a flow of work takes place; A...
Definitions
- The rate at which a flow of work takes place; A...
Ancestry of “workflow”, step by step
workflow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English flow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flow | A movement in people or things with a particular... |
| 2 | Middle English | flowen | To flow, stream, or issue; to move; To become... |
| 3 | Old English | flōwan | to flow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *flōan | to flow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flōaną | to flow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plōw- | to flow, swim; to pour, wash |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |