labour

labour · noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromlabor
2. Old French · derived fromlabor
3. Middle English · inherited fromlabor
4. English todaylabour

From Middle English labor, labour, labur, from Old French labor (modern labeur) and its etymon, Latin labor.

labour · verb²

1. Latin · derived fromlaborare“(intransitive) to labor, strive, exert oneself, suffer, be in distress, (transitive) to work out, elaborate”
2. Old French · derived fromlaborer
3. Middle English · inherited fromlabouren
4. English todaylabour

From Middle English labouren, from Old French laborer, from Latin laborare (“(intransitive) to labor, strive, exert oneself, suffer, be in distress, (transitive) to work out, elaborate”), from labor (“labor, toil, work, exertion”); perhaps remotely akin to robur (“strength”). Displaced native English swink (“toil, labor”).

Words from the same roots