corde

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɔʁd/^[1]

Forms

corde f (plural cordes)^[1] First corda (late 10th century), then corde (1130–1140, Wace).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin chorda (“gut string of an instrument; cord”), from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “gut; string of gut”).^[3][4][1] Rey mentions the hypothesis that the Greek word comes from Hittite karad- (“intestines”).^[3] In Latin it passed from a musical term to a familiar synonym of fūnis (“rope”), as early as Plautus, and replaced it; the Old French outcome of fūnis, fun, disappeared very early.^[3][4] Cognate with Old Occitan corda, Italian corda and Spanish cuerda.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Passion of Clermont (late 10th century) has corda for strands of textile twisted together.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The uses followed those of the thing.^[3] About 1165 it named a bowstring, and about 1175 the hangman's rope, whence la corde for hanging (1612) and the proverb about not speaking of rope in the house of a hanged man (Sévigné, 1680).^[2][3][6] It meant the string of a musical instrument from the 11th century, and it also names the vocal cords.^[7][1] The tightrope of acrobats is recorded in 1531, the skipping rope in 1837 (corde à danser in Quebec), the rail of a racecourse in 1855, whence tenir la corde (1869), and the ropes of mountaineers (1868) and boxers (1904).^[3] In geometry the chord of an arc is in Furetière (1690).^[2] Avoir deux cordes à son arc is found before 1300, la corde sensible in 1835, and Sévigné writes on voit la corde, the threads show, in 1672.^[5][7][6]

Timeline

• Late 10th century – Corda in the Passion.^[2]
• c. 1165 – A bowstring.^[2]
• c. 1175 – The hangman's rope.^[2]
• 1531 – A tightrope.^[3]
• 1680 – The proverb of the hanged man's house, in Sévigné.^[6]
• 1690 – The chord of an arc, in Furetière.^[2]
• 1837 – Corde à sauter.^[3]
• 1869 – Tenir la corde.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A rope: strands twisted or plaited together: corde de chanvre, échelle de corde.^[8][2]
2. The rope used for hanging; the gallows: mériter la corde.^[3][2]
3. A string of a musical instrument, instruments à cordes, string instruments, toucher la corde sensible, to strike a chord.^[7][1]
4. Cordes vocales: the vocal cords.^[1]
5. A tightrope; a skipping rope: sauter à la corde.^[3][1]
6. (racing) The rail, tenir la corde, to have the inside track, to be the favourite.^[3][1]
7. (geometry) A chord.^[2][1]
8. Il pleut des cordes: it is raining heavily, usé jusqu'à la corde: threadbare, avoir plus d'une corde à son arc: to have more than one string to one's bow.^[1][5]

Word family

• cordage
• cordeau
• cordelette
• corder
• cordée
• cordon
• cordier

Related words

• Latin chorda
• English cord

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
7. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert