Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hertô, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr. Cognate with Old Saxon herta (Low German Hart), Old Dutch herta, Old Frisian herte, Old English heorte (English heart), Old Norse hjarta (Swedish hjärta), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍉 ‎(hairtō). The Indo-European root is also the source of Greek καρδία ‎(kardía), Latin cor, Welsh craidd, Russian се́рдце ‎(sérdce), Lithuanian širdis.