For sense development, compare expression work the land, Old Norse yrkja "work," but especially "cultivate" (and also "to make verses"); Old Church Slavonic delati "work," also "cultivate." Related: Tilled; tilling.
"a work," especially a work of music or literature, also "the body of work produced by an artist," 1875, from French oeuvre "work" (12c.), from Latin opera "work, effort" (from PIE root *op- "to work, produce in abundance.").
1700, "a fresh promulgation" of a law, etc., from re- + publication, French republication (by 17c.), or else formed to go with republish (v.). By 1789 as "act of republishing, a new publication of something published before;" specifically as "a fresh publication of a literary work" by 1796, originally often especially a reprint in one country of a work published in another. A verb republicate was used 17c. as "make popular" (1660s).
of medicines, "kept in stock by a druggist," 1660s, from French officinal, from Medieval Latin officinalis, literally "of or belonging in an officina," a storeroom (of a monastery) for medicines and necessaries, in classical Latin "workshop, manufactory, laboratory," contraction of *opificina, from opifex (genitive opificis) "worker, workman, maker, doer" (from opus "work," from PIE root *op- "to work, produce in abundance") + -fex, -ficis "maker, one who does," from facere "to do, make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Related: Officinally.
term used in arts and literature, "work made from available things," by 1966, via Lévi-Strauss, from French bricolage, from bricoler "to fiddle, tinker" and, by extension, "make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are to hand (regardless of their original purpose)," 16c., from bricole (14c.).
