courage (French)

Where does "courage" come from?

The word courage traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root for heart, which also gave rise to the English word for that organ. From that root, it evolved into the Latin word 'cor,' which eventually became the Vulgar Latin term '*corāticum' to describe the inner strength and spirit located in one's chest. This journey through Old and Middle French preserved the connection between bravery and 'having heart' that we still recognize today.

Direct ancestors

• corage (Old French)
• cor (Latin)
• coratge (Catalan)
• coraggio (Italian)
• coratge (Occitan)
• coraje (Spanish)

Updated May 2026

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