Where does “whipcord” come from?

whipcord (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- — bowels, intestines.

whipcord (English): A hard, twisted cord used for making whiplashes;...

Definitions

  1. A hard, twisted cord used for making whiplashes;...

Ancestry of “whipcord”, step by step

whipcord traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cord

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcordA long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fibre (a rope, for example)
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-bowels, intestines

via English whip

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhipA lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a...
2Middle Englishwhippen
3Middle Dutchwippento swing, leap, dance, oscillate

Words derived from “whipcord

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