Labeur
/ˈleɪ.bjʊər/noun
Archaic or literary English for labor, toil, or hard work.
Did you know?English labeur came through Old French from Latin labor, a word tied to strain, hardship, and the idea of falling or slipping under pressure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lab(h)-
“to slip, fall, or move unsteadily”
Latin
Latin
labor
“toil, exertion, hardship”
Old French
Old French
labur / labeur
“toil, labor, work”
Middle English
English
labour
“work, exertion, hardship”
Modern English
English
labeur
“archaic spelling or form of labour; toil or hard work”
Explore more surprising origins