worchen

== Middle English == === Alternative forms === werche, werchen, werke, werken, wirche, wirchen, worche, wourche, wurche werechen, weorche, wurchen (Early Middle English); wirrkenn (Ormulum); wark, warke, wyrch, wyrche (Late Middle English) warkyn, werkyn (East Anglia); wirk, wirke, wyrk, wyrke (especially Northern) === Etymology === Inherited from Old English wyrċan, from a combination of Proto-West Germanic *wurkijan (from Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥ǵyéti) and Proto-West Germanic *wirkijan (from Proto-Germanic *wirkijaną); roughly equivalent to werk (“action, labour”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix). Forms with /ɛ/ reflect both the East Anglian, East Saxon, and Kentish development of Old English /y/ and influence from the noun werk (also evident in forms with /k/, though these could be generalised from the Old English singular present indicative forms wyrcst, wyrcþ). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈwurt͡ʃən/ (mainly Southern, South Midland), /ˈwirt͡ʃən/ (mainly South Midland) IPA(key): /ˈwɛrt͡ʃən/, /ˈwɛrkən/ (especially East Anglia, East Saxon, Kent) IPA(key): /wirk/ (mainly Northern, Northeast Midland) === Verb === worchen (third-person singular simple present worcheth, present participle worchynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative wroghte, past participle wroght) To perform or accomplish: to carry out: To cause or bring about; to put into effect. To practice or maintain; to perform habitually. To create or generate; to bring into existence: To produce; to create a product, preparation, or work. To build or erect; to create a structure. (passive voice) To adorn, depict, or inscribe. (rare) To institute or form (an institution) To act or behave (in a certain way): To affect or influence; to act upon. To operate; to be efficacious or effective. To toil or labour (usually physically): To work in a craft, discipline, or occupation. To work on (a structure or excavation) To work with; to manipulate or process. (uncommon) To have sex; to copulate. (uncommon) To calculate; to perform arithmetic. To convert or change; to make into another thing. (rare) To harass or afflict; to cause trouble to. (rare) To utilise or employ; to put into use. ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Descendants ==== English: workSranan Tongo: wrokoAukan: woókoSaramaccan: woóko→ Kari'na: woroko→ Trió: oroko, joroko→ Cantonese: work (adjective) Middle Scots: wirk Scots: wirk, wark, work Yola: woorkt (preterite) ==== References ==== “werken, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. McIntosh, Angus; Samuels, M[ichael] L.; Benskin, Michael (2013) [1986], Michael Benskin, Margaret Laing, editors, eLALME: A Linguistic Atlas of Late Medieval English‎[1], Edinburgh: Angus McIntosh Centre for Historical Linguistics; revised November 2024.