Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “choir” come from?

Choir derives from Middle English quer, from Old French quer, from Latin cor meaning heart, from Ancient Greek χορός, ultimately from Latin cum and com meaning together.

choir (English): Singing group; group of people who sing together;...

Definitions

  1. Singing group; group of people who sing together;...

Ancestry of “choir”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishquer—
2Old Frenchcuerheart
3Vulgar Latin*corem—
4Latincorheart; soul, mind
5Proto-Italickordheart
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱḗrheart

Words derived from “choir”

  • chorister
  • choirmaster
  • choirboy
  • retrochoir
  • choirgirl
  • choirman
  • choirmistress
  • choirless
  • choirlike
  • choirstall
  • antechoir
  • retroquire
  • choirmate
  • choirboyish
  • antichoir
  • polychoir
  • kwaya
  • kwaia
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →