English
courage
Courage comes from Old French corage, from Vulgar Latin *corāticum ‘heart, guts’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerd-‘heart’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱḗr ~ *ḱr̥désreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kord‘heart’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcor‘heart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*corem‘heart’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*corāticum‘heart, guts’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400corage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1485courage
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerd-‘heart’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱḗr ~ *ḱr̥désreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kord‘heart’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcor‘heart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CE*corem‘heart’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*corāticum‘heart, guts’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400corage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1485courage
Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory: “And wete yow wel sayd kynge Arthur vnto Vrres…”
The story
Distantly related to cardiac (‘of the heart’), which is from Greek, but from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- ‘heart’
heart, cardiac, creed, myocardium, 7 more
through Proto-Italic *kord ‘heart’
recorder, concordia, discordant, 9 more
through Latin cor ‘heart’
record, accord, concord, discord, cordial, 13 more
through Latin *corem ‘heart’
Today it means
noun The quality of being confident, not afraid or easily intimidated, but without being incautious or inconsiderate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- / courage