Where does “Coward” come from?

Coward comes from Old English cūhyrde, a compound of cū meaning cow and hyrde meaning herder or keeper of animals.

Coward (English): A person who lacks courage

Definitions

  1. A person who lacks courage

Ancestry of “Coward”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcowardcoward, knave
2Old Frenchcoarta coward; cowardly
3Old French-ardpejorative agent noun
4Frankish-hardhardy, bold
5Proto-Germanicharduzhard; brave
6Proto-Indo-Europeankert-times; to weave, twist together; time
7Proto-Turkic*keŕ-to travel, tour

Words derived from “Coward”

Every word from Proto-Turkic *keŕ- →