Английский Этимологический словарь - work (n.)

- O.E. weorc, worc "something done, deed, action, proceeding, business," from P.Gmc. *werkan, from PIE *werg-/*worg- "do, work." The verb is a fusion of O.E. wyrcan (past tense worhte, pp. geworht), from P.Gmc. *wurkijanan; and O.E. wircan (Mercian) "to work, operate, function," formed relatively late from P.Gmc. noun *werkan. Had the sense of "fornication" in O.E. Workaday is 12c. werkedei (from O.N. virkr dagr "working day") and is older than workday (c.1430). It passed into an adj. 16c. Working-class first attested 1813; Workhouse in the sense of "place where the poor or petty criminals are lodged" appeared first 1652. Workaholic coined 1968, with second element abstracted absurdly from alcoholic (setting up the Rodney Dangerfield joke, "My old man was a workaholic: every time he thought about work, he got drunk."). Work out "do strenuous physical exercise" first recorded 1909.