Labour
UK[ˈleɪbə(r)]US[ˈleɪbər]
n
Work, especially physical work
n
The people who do the work for an organization or country, considered as a group
n
The process of giving birth
v
To work hard
v
To move or proceed with difficulty
Etymology
The word 'labour' originates from the Latin noun 'labor', which signified toil, exertion, or hardship. It was adopted into Old French as 'labour', carrying the sense of physical work or task. Entering Middle English, it retained these core meanings related to strenuous effort. Over time, its semantic field expanded metaphorically to encompass organized workers as a collective, the difficult process of childbirth, and the concept of progressing with struggle, all connected by the underlying theme of demanding exertion.
Analysis
The word 'labour' is a simplex word derived from the Latin 'labor' meaning "toil, exertion, hardship." It entered English via Old French 'labour'. Its spelling with 'our' is the standard British English form.
Examples
The construction project required months of manual labour.
The new policy was opposed by the trade unions representing the country's labour force.
After labouring for hours, she finally finished the detailed report.