Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pullcord” come from?

pullcord (English) comes from English cord, from Middle English corde, from Old French corde, from Latin chorda, from Ancient Greek χορδή, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH-.

pullcord (English): A cord that can be pulled to activate a light or...

Definitions

  1. A cord that can be pulled to activate a light or...

Ancestry of “pullcord”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcordA long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns ...
2Middle EnglishcordeA long, thick length of fibre; One of the strings...
3Old Frenchcorderope
4Latinchordacord, string; tripe, intestine; catgut
5Ancient Greekχορδήguts, intestines; string made of gut; string,...
6Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰerH-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerH- →