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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

working

/ˈwɜːkɪŋ/
Operation; action.

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    • derived
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    • meaning component
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English werking, werkynge, warkynge, worchinge, from Old English wyrċing (“working”), verbal noun of wyrċan (“to work”), equivalent to work + -ing. Cognate with Scots wirking, warking, Dutch werking, German Wirkung.

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English workyng, wirkynge, worchinge, werchinge, workinde, wirkand, worchende, wurchende, from Old English wyrċende, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną (“to work”), equivalent to work + -ing. Compare Scots wirkand, werkand, warkand (“working”), Dutch werkend (“working, acting”), German wirkend (“acting, working”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishwerking
      • inheritedOld Englishwyrċing “working”
    • surface analysisEnglishwork “Labour, occupation, job.”
    • suffixEnglish-ing “As true nouns.”
      • inheritedMiddle English-ynge
        • inheritedOld English-ung
        • inheritedOld English-ende
      • inheritedMiddle English-yng
        • inheritedOld English-ing “belonging to”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishworkyng
      • inheritedOld Englishwyrċende
        • inheritedProto-Germanic*wurkijandz
          • derivedProto-Germanic*wurkijaną “to work”
            • inheritedProto-Indo-European*wr̥ǵyéti “to be working, to be at work”
              • derivedProto-Indo-Europeanthe
              • partProto-Indo-European*-yéti
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*werǵ- “to make”

    Related: Scots wirking, Dutch werking, German Wirkung, Scots wirkand, Dutch werkend, German wirkend

    Meanings

    noun
    1. Operation; action.
    2. Method of operation.
    3. The incidental or subsidiary calculations performed in solving an overall problem.
    4. Fermentation.
    5. Becoming full of a vegetable substance.
    6. A place where work is carried on.
    adj
    1. That is or are functioning.
    2. That suffices but requires additional work; provisional.
    3. In paid employment.
    4. Of or relating to employment.
    5. Enough to allow one to use something.
    6. Used in real life; practical.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: working