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

choirgirl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English choir

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchoirSinging group; group of people who sing together;...
2Middle EnglishquerA choir singers who musically accompany a liturgy
3Old Frenchcuerheart
4Vulgar Latin*corem—
5Latincorheart; soul, mind
6Proto-Italickordheart
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱḗrheart

via English Girl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGirlA Chinese constellation located near Aquarius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and part of the Black Turtle
2Middle EnglishgirleAlternative form of gerle
3Old Englishgyreleyoung person
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →Every word from Proto-Italic kord →Every word from Latin cor →