Where does “pentachord” come from?

pentachord (English) comes from English chord, from English cord, from Middle English corde, from Old French corde, from Latin chorda, from Ancient Greek χορδή, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH- — bowels, intestines.

pentachord (English): Five notes in a scale; A musical instrument with...

Definitions

  1. Five notes in a scale; A musical instrument with...

Ancestry of “pentachord”, step by step

pentachord traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English chord

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchordA harmonic set of three or more notes that is...
2EnglishcordA long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fibre (a rope, for example)
3Middle EnglishcordeA long, thick length of fibre; One of the strings...
4Old Frenchcorderope
5Latinchordacord, string; tripe, intestine; catgut
6Ancient Greekχορδήguts, intestines; string made of gut; string,...
7Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰerH-bowels, intestines

via English penta

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpenta
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH-Every word from Ancient Greek χορδήEvery word from Latin chorda