work

• n. 工作；[物] 功；产品；操作；职业；行为；事业；工厂；著作；文学、音乐或艺术作品
• vt. 使工作；操作；经营；使缓慢前进
• vi. 工作；运作；起作用
• n. （英、埃塞）沃克（人名）

词态变化

中文词源

来自PIE*werg,做，做工，词源同organ,urgent,wright.

英文词源

work

work: [OE] Work is at the centre of a small family of English words that go back ultimately to Indo- European *werg-, *worg- ‘do, work’ (other members include energy, organ, and orgy). From this base was formed the noun *wergon, which passed into prehistoric Germanic as *werkam, and evolved from there into German and Dutch werk, Swedish verk, and English work. Wright ‘craftsman’ [OE] (which now survives only in compounds) comes from the same source (with the transposition of r and the vowel), as does wrought, originally the past participle of the verb work.
=> energy, organ, orgy, wright, wrought

work (n.)

Old English weorc, worc "something done, discreet act performed by someone, action (whether voluntary or required), proceeding, business; that which is made or manufactured, products of labor," also "physical labor, toil; skilled trade, craft, or occupation; opportunity of expending labor in some useful or remunerative way;" also "military fortification," from Proto-Germanic *werkan (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch werk, Old Norse verk, Middle Dutch warc, Old High German werah, German Werk, Gothic gawaurki), from PIE *werg-o-, from root *werg- "to do" (see organ).

Work is less boring than amusing oneself. [Baudelaire, "Mon Coeur mis a nu," 1862]

Meaning "physical effort, exertion" is from c. 1200; meaning "scholarly labor" or its productions is from c. 1200; meaning "artistic labor" or its productions is from c. 1200. Meaning "labor as a measurable commodity" is from c. 1300. Meaning "embroidery, stitchery, needlepoint" is from late 14c. Work of art attested by 1774 as "artistic creation," earlier (1728) "artifice, production of humans (as opposed to nature)." Work ethic recorded from 1959. To be out of work "unemployed" is from 1590s. To make clean work of is from c. 1300; to make short work of is from 1640s. Proverbial expression many hands make light work is from c. 1300. To have (one's) work cut out for one is from 1610s; to have it prepared and prescribed, hence, to have all one can handle. Work in progress is from 1930 in a general sense, earlier as a specific term in accountancy and parliamentary procedure.

work (v.)

a fusion of Old English wyrcan (past tense worhte, past participle geworht) "prepare, perform, do, make, construct, produce; strive after" (from Proto-Germanic *wurkijan); and Old English wircan (Mercian) "to operate, function, set in motion," a secondary verb formed relatively late from Proto-Germanic noun *werkan (see work (n.)). Sense of "perform physical labor" was in Old English, as was sense "ply one's trade" and "exert creative power, be a creator." Transitive sense "manipulate (physical substances) into a desired state or form" was in Old English. Meaning "have the expected or desired effect" is from late 14c. In Middle English also "perform sexually" (mid-13c.). Related: Worked (15c.); working. To work up "excite" is from c. 1600. To work over "beat up, thrash" is from 1927. To work against "attempt to subvert" is from late 14c.

双语例句

1. You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. And if you do, if you stay positive, then you have a shot at a silver lining.

你必须全力以赴，最大限度地去努力。如果你这么做，并且保持乐观，你就会看见乌云背后的幸福线。

来自电影《乌云背后的幸福线》

2. The company I work for went through a rough patch.

我所在的公司经历了一段困难时期。

来自柯林斯例句

3. Talent, hard work and sheer tenacity are all crucial to career success.

事业要成功，才能、勤奋和顽强的意志都至关重要。

来自柯林斯例句

4. I spent lots of money on smart new outfits for work.

我花大笔钱购置了上班时穿的漂亮新套装。

来自柯林斯例句

5. The price depends on the intricacy of the work.

价格取决于做工的复杂精细度。

来自柯林斯例句