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URL: https://www.etymonline.com/word/cordial

⇱ Cordial - Etymology, Origin & Meaning

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Origin and history of cordial

cordial(adj.)

c. 1400, "of or pertaining to the heart" (a sense now obsolete or rare, replaced by cardiac), from Medieval Latin cordialis "of or for the heart," from Latin cor (genitive cordis) "heart," from PIE root *kerd- "heart." Meaning "heartfelt, proceeding from the heart as the supposed seat of kindly feelings" is from mid-15c. Related: Cordiality.

The noun meaning "something that invigorates" is from late 14c., originally "medicine, food, or drink that stimulates the heart." Meaning "sweet or aromatic liquor" is from 1610s.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to cordial

"of or pertaining to the heart," c. 1600, from French cardiaque (14c.) or directly from Latin cardiacus, from Greek kardiakos "pertaining to the heart," from kardia "heart" (from PIE root *kerd- "heart"). Cardiac arrest is attested from 1950.

Greek kardia also could mean "stomach" and Latin cardiacus "pertaining to the stomach." This terminology continues somewhat in modern medicine. Confusion of heart and nearby digestive organs also is reflected in Breton kalon "heart," from Old French cauldun "bowels," and English heartburn for "indigestion."

cordially(adv.)

late 15c., "by heart" (Caxton), from cordial + -ly (2). Meaning "heartily, earnestly" is from 1530s; weakened sense of "with friendliness" is attested by 1781.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "heart."

It might form all or part of: accord; cardiac; cardio-; concord; core; cordial; courage; credence; credible; credit; credo; credulous; creed; discord; grant; heart; incroyable; megalocardia; miscreant; myocardium; pericarditis; pericardium; quarry (n.1) "what is hunted;" record; recreant; tachycardia.

It might also be the source of: Greek kardia, Latin cor, Armenian sirt, Old Irish cride, Welsh craidd, Hittite kir, Lithuanian širdis, Russian serdce, Old English heorte, German Herz, Gothic hairto, "heart;" Breton kreiz "middle;" Old Church Slavonic sreda "middle."

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of persons, "open to conversation or approach," late 15c., from Old French affable "benign, approachable" (14c.), from Latin affabilis "approachable, courteous, kind, friendly," literally "who can be (easily) spoken to," from affari "to speak to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + fari "t

late 14c., "kindly, friendly," also "worthy of love or admiration," from Old French amiable "pleasant, kind; worthy to be loved" (12c.), from Late Latin amicabilis "friendly," from Latin amicus "friend, loved one," noun use of an adjective, "friendly, loving," from amare "to love

1560s, "pertaining to marriage," from Latin genialis "pleasant, festive," originally "pertaining to marriage rites," from genius "guardian spirit," with here perhaps a special sense of "tutelary deity of a married couple," from PIE *gen(e)-yo-, from root *gene- "give birth, beget

Sense of "not cordial or familiar" is by 1709. Related: Distantly....

Among the French phrases reported by OED as in use in English late 19c. were succès d'estime "cordial reception given to...

Cherry-bounce, popular name of a cordial made from fermented cherries, is from 1690s....

1778, "cherry liqueur," especially a type originating around Zara in Dalmatia, distilled from or flavored with marasca cherries, from Italian maraschino "strong, sweet liqueur made from juice of the marasca" (a bitter black cherry), a shortening of amarasca, from amaro "bitter,"

also absinth (though properly that means "wormwood"), "bitter, pale-green alcoholic liqueur distilled from wine mixed with wormwood" (Artemisia Absinthium), 1842, from French absinthe, "essence of wormwood" (short for extrait d'absinthe) from Latin absinthum "wormwood," from Gree

1540s (early 15c. as alcofol), "fine powder produced by sublimation," from Medieval Latin alcohol "powdered ore of antimony," from Arabic al-kuhul "kohl," the fine metallic powder used to darken the eyelids, from kahala "to stain, paint." The al- is the Arabic definite article, "

esteemed type of liqueur, 1866, from la Grande-Chartreuse, chief monastery of the Carthusian order, which was founded 11c. and named for the massif de la Chartreuse (Medieval Latin Carthusianus) mountain group in the French Alps, where its first monastery was built. The liqueur r

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