Etymology Map
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Heart

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the organ that pumps blood; the centre of feeling

Where does the word "heart" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic hertǭ, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hertǭ
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"heart"
cognate with Latin 'cor, cordis', as in 'cordial', and Greek 'kardia'
2
Stage 2 of 3
heorte
Old English · 700s-1000s
"heart"
in Old English poetry the seat of courage, thought and feeling
3
Stage 3 of 3
heart
English · 1500s
"heart"
'by heart', from memory, dates from the late 1300s
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Read the full story

Heart’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hertǭ meant “heart.” Cognate with Latin 'cor, cordis', as in 'cordial', and Greek 'kardia'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as heorte. In Old English poetry the seat of courage, thought and feeling. It reached English by 1500s as heart. 'by heart', from memory, dates from the late 1300s. Today, heart means the organ that pumps blood; the centre of feeling.