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

  1. overwhelming mental anguish or grief, especially...

Ancestry of “heartbreak”, step by step

heartbreak traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English break

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreakTo separate into two or more pieces, to fracture...
2Middle Englishbrekento break
3Old Englishbrecanto break; to break into a place
4Proto-West Germanicbrekanto break
5Proto-Germanicbrekanąto break
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrēǵ-to shine, shimmer

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- →