Where does “hardline” come from?

Hardline derives from English hard and English line, with line tracing to Old English līn, Proto-Germanic harduz, and Proto-Indo-European līno-.

hardline (English): A retail product collection consisting primarily...

Definitions

  1. A retail product collection consisting primarily...

Ancestry of “hardline”, step by step

hardline traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hard

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhardHaving a severe property; presenting difficulty;...
2Old Frenchhardihardy; tough; durable
3Old Frenchhardirto harden
4Frankishhardijanto harden, to make hard
5Proto-Germanichardijanąto make hard, strong; to harden
6Proto-Germanicharduzhard; brave
7Proto-Indo-Europeankert-times; to weave, twist together; time
8Proto-Turkic*keŕ-to travel, tour

via English line

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlineA path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight
2Middle Englishlinerope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,...
3Old Englishlīneline, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,...
4Proto-West Germanic*līnāline, chord, rope, string
5Proto-Germaniclīnǭthat which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,...
6Proto-Germaniclīnąflax
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlīno-flax
Every word from Proto-Turkic *keŕ-