Where does “heartthrob” come from?

heartthrob (English) comes from English heart, from Middle English herte, from Old English heorte, from Proto-West Germanic hertā, from Proto-Germanic hertô, from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr — heart.

heartthrob (English): A heartbeat; The object of one’s desires or...

Definitions

  1. A heartbeat; The object of one’s desires or...

Ancestry of “heartthrob”, step by step

heartthrob traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English throb

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthrobTo pound or beat rapidly or violently; To vibrate...
2Middle Englishthrobben—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →Every word from Proto-Germanic hertô →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hertā →