From Middle English forwirken, forwerken, forwurchen, from Old English forwercan, forwyrcan ?(“to do wrong, sin; ruin, undo, destroy; condemn, convict, curse; forfeit; barricade, obstruct, close up”), from Proto-Germanic *frawerkijan?, equivalent to for- +? work. Cognate with Dutch verwerken ?(“to digest, assimilate, work up, put into action”), German verwirken ?(“to forfeit”), Gothic ?????????????????????? ?(frawaurkjan).