Labour
/ˈleɪ.bər/noun
Work, especially physical or mental effort; also the process of childbirth.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *labor*, meaning “toil” or “hardship,” and it has long been tied to the human experience of strain rather than simple productivity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*labʰ-
“to totter, be weak, or be weary”
Latin
Latin
labor
“toil, exertion, hardship”
Old French
Old French
labour
“toil, work, effort”
Middle English
English
labour
“physical work, exertion; also childbirth”
Modern English
English
labour
“work or effort, especially physical or mental exertion”
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