*werg-
Meanings
Word Family
The core idea of this root was:
doing
It’s of course the origin of English work, and also wright, but the far bigger and more surprising branch is actually the one around the old Greek “ergon“, which meant something work, business, action, and which is the origin of words like energy and organ.
Here’s a little overview over relatives:
- energy (“in action”)
- allergy (“strange action, wrong action”)
- synergy (“work together”)
- organ (“tool that works”)
- organize (“assemble into a functioning whole”)
- orgy (originally referred to rites with lots of dancing and activity)
- argon (a-ergon : “without work”)
- lethargic (“lingering without work”)
- dramaturge (“drama worker”)
- ergonomics (“work science”)
Also related are:
- George (“gaia/earth worker”)
- irk (“work up someone”)