Where does “heartbreak” come from?
Heartbreak comes from Middle English heartbreak, composed of herte (heart) from Old English heorte, ultimately from Proto-Germanic herutaz and Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr meaning heart or seat of emotions.
heartbreak (English): overwhelming mental anguish or grief, especially...
Definitions
- overwhelming mental anguish or grief, especially...
Ancestry of “heartbreak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | break | To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture... |
| 2 | Middle English | breken | to break |
| 3 | Old English | brecan | to break; to break into a place |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | brekan | to break |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brekaną | to break |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrēǵ- | to shine, shimmer |