Definition
Mental labor or intellectual work that requires thinking and brain power, as opposed to physical work.
Etymology
From 'head' (mind, intellect) and 'work.' Emerged in the 1700s to distinguish between manual labor and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the Industrial Revolution's division of labor types.
Kelly Says
The Industrial Revolution created the headwork/handwork distinction, which has had huge consequences—it led to white-collar and blue-collar class divisions that still shape society and educational expectations today!
Translations
ARالعربية
عمل عقلي
amal 'aqli
BNবাংলা
মানসিক কাজ
ma-nasik ka-j
CACatalà
treball intel·lectual
tre-ball in-tel-lec-tual
CSČeština
intelektuální práce
in-tel-ek-tu-al-ni praca
DADansk
intellektuel arbejde
in-tel-lek-tu-el ar-be-te
DEDeutsch
Kopfarbeit
kop-f-ar-beit
ELΕλληνικά
ε脑ική εργασία
e-ra-si-a
ESEspañol
trabajo mental
tra-ba-jo men-tal
FAفارسی
کار ذهنی
kar-e-za-h-ni
FISuomi
aivovoimaa
ai-vo-voi-maa
FRFrançais
travail intellectuel
tra-v-ay in-tel-lek-tueel
GUGU
મનસુકામ
ma-n-su-kaam
HAHA
aiki na zuciya
a-iki na zu-ci-ya
HEעברית
עבודה אינטלקטואלית
avoda in-tel-ek-tua-lit
HIहिन्दी
मानसिक श्रम
ma-nasik shram
HUMagyar
intellektuális munka
in-tel-lek-tu-a-lis mun-ka
IDBahasa Indonesia
pekerjaan mental
pe-kerja-an men-tal
IGIG
ọrụ ahụike
ọ-ru a-hu-ike
ITItaliano
lavoro mentale
la-vo-ro men-tale
JA日本語
頭脳労働
zū-nō-rō-rō-gaku
KMKM
ការប្រើប្រាស់
ka-ar-bra-as
KO한국어
지적 노력
ji-jeok no-reok
MRMR
मनासाचा काम
ma-na-sa-cha ka-am
MSBahasa Melayu
pekerjaan mental
pe-kerja-an men-tal
MYမြန်မာ
စိတ် ကြိုး
seet kyi
NLNederlands
hoofdwerk
hoofd-werk
NONorsk
intellektuelt arbeid
in-tel-lek-tu-elt ar-be-id
PAPA
ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਕੰਮ
ma-n-ukh-ee kam
PLPolski
praca umysłowa
pra-ca um-ys-lo-wa
PTPortuguês
trabalho mental
tra-ba-lho men-tal
RORomână
muncă intelectuală
mun-ca in-tel-ek-tual-a
RUРусский
интеллектуальный труд
in-tel-lek-tual-nyy trud
SVSvenska
intellektuellt arbete
in-tel-lek-tu-elt ar-be-te
SWKiswahili
kazi ya akili
ka-zi ya a-kili
TAதமிழ்
மனசாட்சி
ma-nas-aat-chi
TEతెలుగు
మనస్సు పని
ma-nas-su pa-ni
THไทย
งานทางปัญญา
ngan tang pa-nya
TLTL
paggawa ng kaisipan
pa-gwa-ga ng kai-si-pan
TRTürkçe
zihinsel iş
zi-hin-sel ish
UKУкраїнська
інтелектуальна праця
in-tel-ek-tual-na pratsia
URاردو
عمل ذكاء
amal di-k-aa
VITiếng Việt
công việc trí tuệ
cong vi-ec tri tu-e
YOYO
ẹ̀rọ ìgbàgbà
ẹ̀rọ ee-gba-gba
ZUZU
umsebenzi wezulu
um-se-ben-zi we-zu-lu