Where does “workwear” come from?
workwear (English) comes from English work, from Middle English werk, 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.
workwear (English): Clothes designed to be worn while working,...
Definitions
- Clothes designed to be worn while working,...
Ancestry of “workwear”, step by step
workwear traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English work
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | work | "Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to... |
| 2 | Middle English | werk | work |
| 3 | Old English | weorc | work, in various senses, including |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | werk | work |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | werką | work |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wérǵom | work |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵ- | to make |
via English Wear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wear | The cities of Durham and Sunderland are situated upon its grand banks |
| 2 | Middle English | weren | Plural past indicative form of been; Plural... |
| 3 | Old English | werian | to wear; to defend, protect |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |