*werką

Reconstruction

The word for "work" is *werką in Wiktionary and Ringe,^[1][2] *werka- in Kroonen (his *werka- 1), Köbler and LÄGLOS,^[3][4][5] and *werkan in Orel.^[6]

The word for "rope" is a separate noun of the same form, Wiktionary's second *werką and Kroonen's *werka- 2.^[1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom (“work”), a noun of the root *werǵ- "to work".^[2][1] Kroonen reconstructs *uerǵ-o- and calls the word identical with Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon, “work”).^[3]

The origin of the word for "rope" is uncertain: Kroonen and Wiktionary derive it, with a question mark, from *werǵʰ-nó-; it would then be from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“to bind, to squeeze”).^[3][1]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[3][4] Ringe counts the PIE word among the thematic neuters that denoted an action and its result.^[2] Kroonen calls it a neuter a-stem to the verb *wurkijaną,^[3] whose root appears in the zero grade.^[7] The k is the regular Germanic outcome of the PIE palatal *ǵ, which the related Avestan verb confirms.^[8]

For the word for "rope", Kroonen explains the k by Kluge's law, from Pre-Germanic *werkka-.^[3]

Evidence

The word for "work" is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse verk, Old English weorc, Old Frisian werk, Old Saxon werk and Old High German werah.^[3][6] Neither Kroonen nor Orel lists a Gothic form;^[3][6] the Gothic word is 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃𐍄𐍅 (waurstw, “deed”), from *wurhstwa-.^[9] LÄGLOS derives Finnish verka (“dense woollen cloth”) from *werka-, Proto-Norse *werka, with a question mark, if the Finnic word first named the material to be worked;^[5] de Vries thought this loan very doubtful, since the West Germanic sense "cloth; tow" is not found in Old Norse.^[10]

The word for "rope" is only West Germanic: Kroonen lists West Frisian, Middle Dutch and Old High German werh (“tow, rope”).^[3] Wiktionary lists Proto-Finnic *vërka among its descendants.^[1]

Competing analyses

De Vries reports J. Trier's view that joined the roots *uerg "to work" and *uerg "to plait" under a basic meaning "to plait", the wattle wall of the timber-framed house.^[10] Orel derives the verb *wurkjanan from this noun,^[11] Kroonen the noun from the verbal root.^[3]

For the word for "rope", Kroonen links it to *wergan- "to strangle" and *wurgjan-; alternatively it may go with Welsh cywarch (“hemp, rope”), from *kom-uor’k’o-, but then the Germanic form would need a different preform.^[3] Wiktionary gives the same two possibilities.^[1]

Meanings

1. work, labour, deed^[3][4][1][2]
2. the word for "rope": rope, cord, especially one of hemp; tow^[3][1][4]

Old English also used the word for "suffering, burden; grief",^[12] and Old Frisian for "effect, function" and "hydraulic structure".^[13]

Derivatives

• *wirkijaną "to make, to produce, to effect",^[14] Kroonen's *werkjan-.^[9]
• Orel's verb *werkōjanan "to work".^[15]
• Compounds: *dagawerką "a day's work", *handuwerką "handwork" and *akrawerką "fieldwork";^[16][17][18] in Orel also *werka-mannz "workman", *werka-đaʒaz "workday" and *werka-xūsan "workshop".^[19][20][21]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: verk (“work, labour”)^[10]
• Old English: weorc (“work, labour; suffering, burden”)^[12]
• Old Frisian: werk (“work, action, function”)^[13]
• Old Saxon: werk (“work, labour, deed”)^[22]
• Old High German: werk (“work, deed, labour, service”)^[23]
• Old High German, the word for "rope": Old High German werh (“tow, rope”), in Kroonen's list^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *werką
2. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 74
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 580
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *werka-
5. ^ a b Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 388
6. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *werkan
7. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 61
8. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 119
9. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 600
10. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. verk
11. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *wurkjanan
12. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. weorc
13. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. werk
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *wirkijaną
15. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *werkōjanan
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dagawerką
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handuwerką
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *akrawerką
19. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *werka-mannz
20. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *werka-đaʒaz
21. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *werka-xūsan
22. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. werk
23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. werk