cord

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰerH-“bowels, intestines”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromχορδή“string of gut, the string of a lyre”
3. Latin · derived fromchorda
4. Old French · derived fromcorde
5. Middle English · inherited fromcorde
6. English todaycord

From Middle English corde, from Old French corde, from Latin chorda, from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “string of gut, the string of a lyre”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH- (“bowels, intestines”). Displaced native Old English sīma (“cord, rope”), sāl (“rope, cord, rein”), and sāda (“cord, halter, snare”). Doublet of chord and cuerda. More at yarn and hernia.

Words from the same roots