Word: heart Part of Speech: noun Etymology: PIE word *ḱḗr Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- Proto-Indo-European *ḱérd Proto-Germanic *hertô Proto-West Germanic *hertā Old English heorte Middle English herte English heart From Middle English harte, heorrte, hert, herte, hierte, hirte, horte, huerte, hurte, from Old English heorte (“heart”), from Proto-West Germanic *hertā, from Proto-Germanic *hertô (“heart”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr (“heart”), from *ḱerd- (“heart”). Doublet of cardia; see also core. Cognates Cognate with Scots hert (“heart”), Yola hart, hearth (“heart”), North Frisian hart, härt (“heart”), Saterland Frisian Haat (“heart”), West Frisian hert (“heart”), Alemannic German Härz (“heart”), Central Franconian Hatz, Hätz (“heart”), Cimbrian hèertze, hèrtz (“heart”), Dutch hart (“heart”), German Hertz, Herz, Herze (“heart”), Low German Hiärt (“heart”), Luxembourgish Häerz (“heart”), Mòcheno hèrz (“heart”), Vilamovian haoc (“heart”), West Flemish erte (“heart”), Yiddish האַרץ (harts), הערץ (herts, “heart”), Danish hierte, hjerte, hjærte (“heart”), Elfdalian järta (“heart”), Faroese and Icelandic hjarta (“heart”), Jutish jaart (“heart”), Norwegian Bokmål hjerte (“heart”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjarta, hjarte, hjerta, hjerte (“heart”), Swedish hjärta (“heart”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍉 (hairtō, “heart”); also Cornish kres (“centre, middle; waist”), Irish croí, croidhe (“heart; core; hub; sweetheart”), Manx cree (“heart”), Scottish Gaelic cridhe (“heart; courage; core; nucleus; sweetheart”), Welsh craidd (“centre, core, middle”), Latin cor (“heart”), Greek καρδιά (kardiá, “heart”), Albanian kërth (“askew”), Latgalian sirds (“heart”), Latvian sirde, sirds (“heart”), Lithuanian širdis (“heart”), Old Prussian seyr (“heart”), Belarusian сэ́рца (sérca, “heart”), Bulgarian сърце́ (sǎrcé, “heart; centre”), Czech and Slovak srdce (“heart”), Macedonian срце (srce, “heart”), Polish serce (“heart”), Russian се́рдце (sérdce, “heart”), Serbo-Croatian ср̏це, sȑce (“heart”), Slovene srce (“heart”), Ukrainian се́рце (sérce, “heart”), Armenian սիրտ (sirt, “heart”), Avestan 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 (zərəd, “heart”), Baluchi زرد (zird, “heart; conscience”), Central Kurdish زر (zir, “heart”), Persian دل (del / dil, “heart; stomach; mind; courage”), Gurani زێڵ (zēł, “heart”), Northern Kurdish dil (“heart”), Ossetian зӕрдӕ (zærdæ, “heart; soul”), Pashto زړه (zrë, “heart”), Talysh dıl (“heart”), Zazaki zerri (“heart”), Hittite 𒆠𒅕 (ker), 𒊮𒅕 (ŠÀ-er, “heart”), Luwian 𒍝𒀀𒅈𒍝 (UZUzārza), 𔖪𔖱𔖪 (zārza, “heart”), Ashkun židi (“heart”), Kamkata-viri j̈arë, zërë (“heart”), Prasuni zër (“heart”), Tocharian A kri (“will”), Tocharian B *käryā- (“heart”), Sanskrit हृद् (hṛd, “heart; soul; breast, chest”). Most of the modern figurative senses (such as passion or compassion, spirit, inmost feelings, especially love, affection, and courage) were present in Old English. However, the meaning “center” dates from the early 14th century. The verb sense “to love” is from the 1977 I ❤ NY advertising campaign. Notes on spelling The spelling ⟨ear⟩ for /ɑː(ɹ)/ is paralleled by hearken and hearth, but is problematic since an Early Modern variant with /ɛːr/ can be posited for those words, but not heart. Perhaps it represents Middle Scots hart /hɛːrt/ (reflecting the Scots lengthening of /a/ before /r/ then a consonant, then the early actuation of the Great Vowel Shift in Scots) or a parallel development in Northern England. Alternatively, a back-spelling by speakers of dialects where preconsonantal /ɛːr/ was shortened early, allowing it to undergo the late Middle English lowering to /ar/ (reflected in forms such as larn "learn") is possible. Pronunciation: /hɑːʔ/, /hɑːt/, /hɑɹt/ 1. A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: […] I did almoſt beleeve, that the motion of the Heart vvas knovvn to God alone: […] 2. One's feelings and emotions, especially considered as part of one's character. Labels: uncountable Example: She has a cold heart. Example: In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road. 3. The seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately, as love, hate, joy, grief, courage, etc.; rarely, the seat of the understanding or will; usually in a good sense; personality. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: a good, tender, loving, bad, hard, or selfish heart Example: Her heart was singing. 4. Compassion. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: If she had any heart she'd forgive me. 5. Affection Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The chorus's singing won the hearts of the audience. Example: Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death, / And in his eies the furies of his heart, / That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng, / And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks. 6. Disposition Labels: countable, uncountable Example: They didn't take the remarks in good heart. 7. Emotional strength that allows one to continue in difficult situations; courage; spirit; a will to compete. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The team lost, but they showed a lot of heart. Example: She put her whole heart into making a go of the business. 8. Vigorous and efficient activity; power of fertile production; condition of the soil, whether good or bad. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Both theſe unhappy Soils the Swain forbears, / And keeps a Sabbath of alternate Years: / That the ſpent Earth may gather heart again; / And, better'd by Ceſſation, bear the Grain. 9. A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address. Labels: archaic, countable, uncountable Example: Listen, dear heart, we must go now. Example: My King, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart! 10. Memory. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: I know almost every Beatles song by heart. 11. A wight or being. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable Example: […] I would outstare the sternest eyes that look, / Outbrave the heart most daring on earth, / Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear, / Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,[…] 12. A conventional shape or symbol used to represent the heart, love, or emotion: ♥. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: "Aw. Thank you." The Cherub kissed the air between them and sent a small cluster of tiny red hearts at her. 13. A playing card of the suit hearts featuring one or more heart-shaped symbols. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. The twenty-fourth Lenormand card. Labels: countable, uncountable 15. The centre, essence, or core. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable Example: That is the heart of the matter Example: The wood at the heart of a tree is the oldest. 16. The centre, essence, or core. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable