Where does “working” come from?
Working comes from English work, from Middle English werk, from Old English wyrċan, from Proto-Germanic wurkijaną, from Proto-Indo-European werǵ-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wreg-.
working (English): Operation; action; Method of operation; The...
Definitions
- Operation; action; Method of operation; The...
Ancestry of “working”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | werking | — |
| 2 | Old English | wyrċing | working, doing |
| 3 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 4 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |