ergonomics

Where does the word "ergonomics" come from? It comes from Greek ergon + nomos, passing through Polish before entering English (1949).

Ergonomics’s story begins in Greek: ergon + nomos meant “laws of work.” 'work' plus 'law', the root of 'energy' and 'economy'. By 1857, the word had taken hold in Polish as ergonomja. Coined by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, who wrote about the 'science of work'; the word was little known abroad. It reached English by 1949 as ergonomics. Coined again independently by K. F. H. Murrell in Britain in 1949. Today, ergonomics means the study of designing equipment and work to suit people.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient ergon + nomos "laws of work", 'work' plus 'law', the root of 'energy' and 'economy'.
2. Stage 2 · Polish · 1857 ergonomja "science of work", coined by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, who wrote about the 'science of work'; the word was little known abroad.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1949 ergonomics "study of work design", coined again independently by K. F. H. Murrell in Britain in 1949.