heart (English)

Where does "heart" come from?

The English noun 'heart' traces back to Proto-Indo-European '*ḱérd', meaning 'heart'[1][4]. It developed into Proto-Germanic '*hertô'[1][4], which later gave rise to Proto-West Germanic '*hertā'[1][5]. Passing into Old English as 'heorte'[1][2] and Middle English as 'herte'[1][3], the word already carried figurative senses of passion, spirit, affection, and courage in its earliest English stage[1]. The broader metaphorical meaning referring to a center or core emerged later, during the early 14th century[1].

Open questions

Sources reconstruct slightly differing Proto-Indo-European nominative forms, citing either '*ḱérd' or '*ḱḗr'. [1] [3] [4]

Full etymology tree

heart (English), 'A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion.'
- inherited herte (Middle English), 'The heart (organ, sometimes eaten).'
  - inherited heorte (Old English), 'heart (muscle)'
    - inherited *hertā (Proto-West Germanic), 'heart'
      - inherited *hertô (Proto-Germanic), 'heart'
        derived *ḱḗr (Proto-Indo-European), 'heart'

Ancestors

*ḱerd- (Proto-Indo-European)
herte (Middle English)
heorte (Old English)
*hertā (Proto-West Germanic)
*hertô (Proto-Germanic)
*ḱḗr (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

cardia (English)

Descendants and derived words

heartbreak (English)
হার্ট (Bengali)
Heart (Cebuano)
absence makes the heart fonder (English)
absence makes the heart go yonder (English)
absence makes the heart grow fonder (English)
after one's own heart (English)
all heart (English)
antiheart (English)
artichoke heart (English)
at heart (English)
athlete's heart (English)

Related words

Sources

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris