Where does “faintheart” come from?

faintheart (English) comes from English heart, from Middle English herte, from Old English heorte, from Proto-West Germanic hertā, from Proto-Germanic hertô, from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr — heart.

faintheart (English): A person who is irresolute or fearful

Definitions

  1. A person who is irresolute or fearful

Ancestry of “faintheart”, step by step

faintheart traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English heart

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishheartA muscular organ that pumps blood through the...
2Middle EnglishherteThe heart; One's inner self; the mind or...
3Old Englishheorteheart
4Proto-West Germanichertāheart
5Proto-Germanichertôheart
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱḗrheart

via English faint

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfaintLacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose...
2Middle Englishfainten—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →Every word from Proto-Germanic hertô →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hertā →