workman

The story

1. Proto-Germanic*werkamann-
2. Proto-West Germanic*werkamann
3. Old Englishweorcmann
4. Middle Englishwerkman
5. English todayworkman

From Middle English werkman, from Old English weorcmann (“workman”), from Proto-West Germanic *werkamann, from Proto-Germanic *werkamann- (“workman”), equivalent to work + -man. Compare Dutch werkman (“workman”), German Werkmann (“labourer, workman”), Icelandic verkamaður (“workman”).