Etymology

accordion

ac·cord·i·on
A1C3C3O1R1D2I1O1N1

Today it means: A box-shaped musical instrument played by compressing or expanding its bellows while pressing its buttons or its keys, causing pallets to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel (reeds). Full definition →

German Akkordeon ← French accord ← Middle French accorder
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Old Latincom
  5. Latincum
  6. Proto-Indo-European*ḱerd-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ḱḗr ~ *ḱr̥dés
  8. Proto-Italic*kord
  9. Latincor
  10. Latinconcors
  11. Latinconcordāre
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  13. Proto-Italic*ad
  14. Proto-Italic*ad-
  15. Latinad-
  16. Vulgar Latin*accordāre
  17. Old Frenchacorder
  18. Middle Frenchaccorder
  19. Frenchaccorderdeverb.
  20. Frenchaccord
  21. GermanAkkord
  22. GermanAkkordeon
  23. English todayaccordion

First attested in 1831. Borrowed from German Akkordeon, from Akkord (“harmony”), from French accord, from Old French acorder, based on Italian accordare (“to tune”). See also accord.

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchacorder all →

accord

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.