Where does “workmen” come from?
workmen (English) comes from English workman, from Middle English werkman, from Old English weorcmann, from Old English weorc, from Proto-West Germanic werk, from Proto-Germanic werką, from Proto-Indo-European wérǵom, from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- — to make.
workmen (English): plural of workman
Ancestry of “workmen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | workman | A man who labours for wages; An artisan or... |
| 2 | Middle English | werkman | — |
| 3 | Old English | weorcmann | workman, labourer |
| 4 | Old English | weorc | work, in various senses, including |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | werk | work |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | werką | work |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wérǵom | work |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵ- | to make |