English word origin

Etymology of worky

From work (noun) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

Characterized by or pertaining to work. · Especially of attire: appropriate for work. · Requiring much work. · Tending to be very serious about work.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From work (noun) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Word-formation componentworken
Word-formation component-yen

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective"
    },
    {
      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work",
        "3": "-y",
        "pos1": "noun",
        "id2": "adjectival",
        "pos2": "suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’"
      },
      "expansion": "work (noun) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "work",
      "work#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Characterized by or pertaining to work.",
        "Especially of attire: appropriate for work.",
        "Requiring much work.",
        "Tending to be very serious about work."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 838305
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative spelling of workie.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From work (noun) + -y (suffix forming diminutive nouns).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Word-formation componentworken
Word-formation component-yen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "suffix"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "diminutive"
      },
      "expansion": "diminutive"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun"
    },
    {
      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work",
        "3": "-y",
        "pos1": "noun",
        "id2": "diminutive",
        "pos2": "suffix forming diminutive nouns"
      },
      "expansion": "work (noun) + -y (suffix forming diminutive nouns)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "work",
      "work#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_diminutive"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of workie."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "informal"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for worky →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-d29ya3k