Worthiness-word origin. Worth and worship both come from Old English weorth, worth value. Worship is composed of this word weorth, worth, + ship (a suffix meaning condition, office, etc. as in friendship and sportsmanship), hence worship was originally the condition or office of being worthy, worthiness, dignity. This use is still found in the title worship, as in Will your worship take tea now? From this use worship then came to mean homage, as given a deity. Although, it is foolhardy to expect.