Necklace
/ˈnɛk.ləs/noun
An ornamental chain or string worn around the neck.
Did you know?The word comes from a simple body-part + object compound, but the neck itself was once a major site of binding, display, and control in ritual, punishment, and status symbolism across cultures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nehgʷʰ-
“to bind, tie, or fasten”
Old English
OE
hnecca
“neck”
Middle English
ME
nekke
“neck”
13th–14th Century
English
necklace
“a chain or cord worn around the neck”
Modern English
English
necklace
“an ornamental chain or string worn around the neck”