The compound "waterworks" is a transparent combination of two ancient Germanic roots. The first element, "water," derives from the Proto-Indo-European root wod-or/wed-, meaning "water" or "wet," which is the source for a vast family of words related to this essential liquid across many languages. The second element, "works," originates from the Proto-Indo-European root werg-, meaning "to do" or "to make," which evolved to signify a place of labor or production. The logic of the compound is perfectly literal: a facility or system that "works" with or on "water." This literal meaning for the municipal infrastructure was later applied figuratively and informally to the human act of crying, humorously comparing the flow of tears to the operation of a public utility.

Structure: water (liquid) + works (facility) - water: From Old English wæter, of Proto-Germanic origin; related to Dutch water and German Wasser. The core semantic element denoting the clear, liquid substance. - works: From Old English weorc, of Proto-Germanic origin; related to Dutch werk and German Werk. The functional element denoting a place or system where industrial or manufacturing activity occurs.