Middle English word werken comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂i-h₂uer, Proto-Indo-European - -yéti, Proto-Indo-European *wṛǵ-, and later Proto-Germanic *warkiz (Pain.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₂i-h₂uer | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| - -yéti | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *wṛǵ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *werǵ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *warkiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Pain. |
| *wérǵom | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Work. |
| wræc | Old English (ang) | Exile. Misery, torment. Persecution, punishment. |
| *wr̥ǵyéti | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | To be working, to be at work. |
| *werką | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Work. |
| wærcan | Old English (ang) | |
| *wirkijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To effect, make happen. To make, produce. |
| *wurkijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To make. To work, to do work. |
| wyrcan | Old English (ang) | To cause, achieve. To do, carry out. To make, build. |
| wyrċan | Old English (ang) | |
| warken | Middle English (enm) |