leave work
Depart from job
Bedeutung
To finish one's duties and depart from the workplace.
The phrase 'leave work' is a combination of two common English words with long histories. 'Leave' originates from Old English 'lǣfan,' meaning 'to allow to remain,' 'to bequeath,' or 'to depart from.' It shares roots with Old Frisian 'leva,' Old Saxon 'lebhan,' Dutch 'laten,' Old High German 'leiban,' German 'bleiben' (to remain), and Gothic 'leifan.' The sense of 'departing' or 'going away from' developed over time, becoming prominent in Middle English. The noun form 'leave' meaning 'permission' also developed from this root, reflecting the idea of being allowed to depart. 'Work' comes from the Old English 'weorc,' 'worc,' meaning 'something done, deed, action, business, occupation, task, labor, toil, building, structure, artistic work.' It has cognates in Old Frisian 'werk,' Old Saxon 'werk,' Old High German 'werah,' Old Norse 'verk,' Gothic 'waurk,' and German 'Werk.' These words trace back to a Proto-Germanic root '*werka-' and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root '*werg-' meaning 'to do.' The combination 'leave work' specifically refers to the act of ceasing one's professional duties and departing from the place of employment. This phrasing would have naturally arisen as both words are fundamental to describing daily activities and employment. The explicit combination likely became common as formalized workplaces and regular working hours became the norm, particularly from the Industrial Revolution onwards when the distinction between home and work became more pronounced and the act of 'leaving' the 'work' premises became a distinct daily event.
