Where does “labor” come from?
labor (Latin) comes from Old Latin labos, from Romanian labă, from Hungarian láb, from Proto-Uralic luwe, from Proto-Iranian *Hrawpācáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hrawpāćás — fox.
labor (Latin): work
Definitions
- work
Ancestry of “labor”, step by step
labor traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Latin labos
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Latin | labos | — |
| 2 | Romanian | labă | palm; paw |
| 3 | Hungarian | láb | leg; foot; support, stand |
| 4 | Proto-Uralic | luwe | bone |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | *Hrawpācáh | fox |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *Hrawpāćás | fox |
via Proto-Indo-European leh₂b-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂b- | to hang loosely; to lap, lick |