etymologisches zu arbeit...

Etymology and Meanings of Arbeit

The German translation of the word “work” is Arbeit. Arbeit is a very old word. I could even find Indo-European ancient words that have a connection to the notion. In an etymological dictionary I found: “Arbeit, f., auf Schaffung von Werten gerichtete körperliche oder geistige Tätigkeit, unselbständiger Dienst“, work, action, either physical or mental, dedicated to create value; dependent service.”[1] This definition somehow surprised me. Not being independent while working has the meaning of being within a relationship of dependence, it sounds a little bit like being a slave. Following this path it is very interesting to see that the root of the word Arbeit indeed is the indo Germanic arba, which means Knecht, translated to English: “servant”. According to other etymological dictionaries the Germanic verb arbejo is the ancient form Arbeit. It can be translated with being an orphan, being in a situation of suffering and being forced to work. The Germanic word arbejo indeed roots to the same word as the English “orphan” and as arm, German for poor, namely to the Indo European word orbh. I am impressed. If I had done the research about the German word Armut which means “poverty” it would have lead me to the same roots. Related to the word orbh is also the old Slavish word raba, which also means Knecht, servant. From this root the word “robot” developed. Following the chronology for German language, from the Indo European orbh, the Germanic arbejiz derived, which is translated with Mühsal, Not, Leiden, Erdulden, hardship, misery, complaint, suffering from something. In Old High German the word sounds like arbeit, arabeit, arebeit, with the same meaning. In the following Middle High German the same term describes an exhausting activity.

Two connotations of the word that immediately called my attention while researching:

1) the term Arbeit used to have a very negative meaning

2) up to the middle ages (Middle High German) it expressed something passive, something happening to you[2]

Of course, these meanings are closely linked to the social and cultural setting in which the term is used. It seems like Arbeit (work) and Armut (poverty) were closely linked to each other. Arbeit was a misery, a very exhausting activity poor people who were dependent on others like servants, slaves, had to do. Nowadays with Arbeit we mean Erwerbsarbeit, so called employment-based work. For expressing a different kind of work, like housework (Hausarbei), family work (Familienarbeit), garden work (Gartenarbeit) we need a further expression, something additional to Arbeit. Being without employment is to be arbeitslos. This word up to Middle High German had the very positive meaning of mühelos: “facile”, “without difficulty”. In our society nowadays it means to be outside of the economic circle, and marginalized.

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tss...die schriftarten entziehn sich beim einfügen meinem layouterischen änderungswillen..sorry schick is das nicht ich weiß...