Where does “workhouse” come from?
Workhouse derives from English work and house, with work tracing through Middle English werk and the Proto-Germanic hūsą suffix to Proto-Indo-European werǵ- meaning to do or perform.
workhouse (English): An institution for the poor homeless, funded by...
Definitions
- An institution for the poor homeless, funded by...
Ancestry of “workhouse”, step by step
workhouse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English house
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | house | A structure built or serving as an abode of human... |
| 2 | Middle English | hus | Alternative form of hous; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Middle English | hous | house, residence; house of worship, temple;... |
| 4 | Old English | hūs | dwelling, shelter, house; house |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hūs | house |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hūsą | house |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |