Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “choirgirl” come from?

choirgirl (English) comes from English choir, from Middle English quer, from Old French cuer, from Vulgar Latin *corem, from Latin cor, from Proto-Italic kord, from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr — heart.

choirgirl (English): A girl who sings in a choir

Definitions

  1. A girl who sings in a choir

Ancestry of “choirgirl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchoirSinging group; group of people who sing together;...
2Middle Englishquer—
3Old Frenchcuerheart
4Vulgar Latin*corem—
5Latincorheart; soul, mind
6Proto-Italickordheart
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱḗrheart
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →