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cordialis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word cordialis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1210 More words from the 13th century
Ultimate origin
Latin cor
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin cor
French cœur
Italian cuore
Latin cordiālis
English cordial
From the same root
English concord ← cor
Latin concors ← cor
Latin cordātus ← cor
Latin discors ← cor
Latin excors ← cor
Latin misericors ← cor
Latin praecordia ← cor
Latin recordor ← cor
Latin sōcors ← cor
Latin vēcors ← cor

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔrˈdi.a.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [korˈdiː.a.lis][1]

Forms

cordiālis (neuter cordiāle, adverb cordiāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin cor (“heart”) + -ālis, treating cor as if it were an i-stem.[1][2] cor goes back to Proto-Italic *kord and Proto-Indo-European *ḱērd (“heart”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Medieval Latin word, which Köbler first records about 1210.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was “of the heart”: medieval medical writers used it of the heart and of remedies that strengthen it, and as a neuter noun for such a remedy, a cordial.[5][6] It also meant heartfelt or hearty, as in thanks or affection from the heart.[5][1]

English borrowed it about 1400 in the sense “of the heart”, and the sense “heartfelt” followed in the mid-15th century.[2] It also passed into French, Italian, Spanish and other languages.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1210 – First recorded in Medieval Latin.[4]
  • c. 1320 – A letter in the Oxford formularies speaks of hearty thanks.[5]
  • c. 1400 – Borrowed into English as cordial, “of the heart”.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) Of the heart, cardiac.[1][5][6]
  2. (Medieval Latin, medicine) Strengthening the heart, stimulant; as a neuter noun, a cordial.[5][6]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Hearty, heartfelt.[5][1]

Word family

  • circumcordialis

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Cordialis.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/cordialis. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·