Where does “heartbreaker” come from?

heartbreaker (English) comes from English breaker, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

heartbreaker (English): Someone, usually attractive, who flirts with or...

Definitions

  1. Someone, usually attractive, who flirts with or...

Ancestry of “heartbreaker”, step by step

heartbreaker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English breaker

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreakerSomething that breaks; A machine for breaking...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she

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 Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti
heartbreaker — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer