Cordage
/ˈkɔːr.dɪdʒ/noun
Rope, cables, or the ropes and rigging used on a ship.
Did you know?Although it sounds simple, *cordage* comes from the same ancient root behind *heart* and *cardiac*—a reminder that words for “cord” and “core” often trace back to the idea of what is “hard” or “firm.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱerd-
“heart; what is hard or firm”
Latin
Latin
cor, cordis
“heart”
Late Latin
Latin
corda
“rope, cord”
Old French
Old French
corde
“rope, cord”
14th Century
English
cordage
“rope or ropes collectively; rigging”