daywork

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*dagawerką
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*dagawerk
3. Old English · inherited fromdæġweorc
4. Middle English · inherited fromdaywork
5. English todaydaywork

From Middle English daywork, daywerk, from Old English dæġweorc, from Proto-West Germanic *dagawerk, from Proto-Germanic *dagawerką. By surface analysis, day + work.

First known use, by meaning

• 10th–19th c. The work done in a day; a day's work.
• 14th–17th c. The amount of land that can be worked in a day.
• from 16th c. Work carried out or paid for on a daily basis; day labour.