Where does “heartstrings” come from?

Heartstrings is a compound of English heart from Old English heorte, from Proto-Germanic herutaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr meaning heart, and English string.

heartstrings (English): The tendons once thought to brace the heart;...

Definitions

  1. The tendons once thought to brace the heart;...

Ancestry of “heartstrings”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhartestrynges—
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 ḱḗr →Every word from Proto-Germanic hertô →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hertā →