Etymology Map
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Labor

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means work, especially hard physical work

Where does the word "labor" come from? It comes from Latin labor, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
labor
Latin · ancient
"toil"
possibly from 'labare', to totter under a burden
2
Stage 2 of 3
labour
Old French · medieval
"toil"
hard work
3
Stage 3 of 3
labor
English · 1300s
"toil"
the political 'Labour' movement dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Labor’s story begins in Latin: labor meant “toil.” Possibly from 'labare', to totter under a burden. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as labour. Hard work. It reached English by 1300s as labor. The political 'Labour' movement dates from the 1800s. Today, labor means work, especially hard physical work.