"Swynke" is the Middle English word for work.  In the 14th century it appears in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales to speak of working hard, physical exertion or labour.  Just like modern concepts of what work is, 'swynke' carries different weight depending on who speaks it and what kind of tasks they describe.  Language doesn't merely describe work—it defines it, delimits it, and assigns it value. It's a reminder that while so much has changed, but there are core parts of our humanity that endure.