Coined in 1829 from 'Akkord' (chord), tracing through French 'accord' to Latin 'cor' (heart) — harmony from the heart.
A portable free-reed instrument with a bellows, keyboard or buttons, and metal reeds that vibrate when air is forced past them, producing a characteristically rich, wheezy tone.
From German 'Akkordion,' coined in 1829 by its inventor Cyrill Demian in Vienna, from German 'Akkord' (a chord, musical harmony), from French 'accord' (agreement, harmony), from Old French 'acorder' (to bring into harmony), from Vulgar Latin *accordāre (to bring heart to heart), from Latin 'ad-' (to) + 'cor' (heart, genitive 'cordis'), from PIE *ḱerd- (heart). Demian named the instrument for its ability to produce full chords with a single button press — its defining innovation over earlier free-reed instruments. Key roots: *ḱerd- (Proto-Indo-European: "heart
The accordion's name literally means 'the chord thing' — inventor Cyrill Demian named it for its party trick of playing a full chord with a single button press. But the deeper etymology reveals something lovelier: through Latin 'cor' (heart), an 'accord' is literally 'a bringing of hearts together,' making the accordion an instrument of heartfelt harmony.