The gathering of crops from fields; also the time of year when crops are gathered, or to collect or gather something.
From Old English 'hærfest' meaning autumn, related to Germanic roots meaning to seize or gather. The term originally referred to the entire season before it narrowed to just the action of gathering.
The word 'harvest' used to mean the entire fall season—the time of the year, not just the act—and you can still hear that in phrases like 'harvest moon,' connecting a modern word about work to ancient seasonal rhythms that organized human life.
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