Where does “abarbeiten” come from?

abarbeiten (German) comes from German ab-, from German AB, from Middle High German ab, from Old High German ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European apó.

abarbeiten (German): to work off (a debt, the items on a to-do list, etc); to resolve or take care of something by working

Definitions

to work off (a debt, the items on a to-do list, etc); to resolve or take care of something by working

Ancestry of “abarbeiten”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	German	ab-	Separable verb prefix that indicates removal or...
2	German	AB	Abbreviation of Anrufbeantworter; Abbreviation of...
3	Middle High German	ab	—
4	Old High German	ab	of
5	Proto-Germanic	*ab	—
6	Proto-Indo-European	apó	—

Every word from Proto-Indo-European apó →Every word from Proto-Germanic *ab →Every word from German ab- →