Where does “cowardy” come from?
cowardy (English) comes from English Coward, from Middle English coward, from Old French coart, from Old French -ard, from Frankish -hard, from Proto-Germanic harduz, from Proto-Indo-European kert-, from Proto-Turkic *keŕ- — to travel, tour.
cowardy (English): Cowardly
Definitions
- Cowardly
Ancestry of “cowardy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Coward | A person who lacks courage |
| 2 | Middle English | coward | coward, knave |
| 3 | Old French | coart | a coward; cowardly |
| 4 | Old French | -ard | pejorative agent noun |
| 5 | Frankish | -hard | hardy, bold |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | harduz | hard; brave |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kert- | times; to weave, twist together; time |
| 8 | Proto-Turkic | *keŕ- | to travel, tour |