English 'cardiac' descends from Greek 'kardía' (heart) via Latin 'cardiacus,' ultimately from PIE *kerd- (heart) — the same root that gives English 'heart,' French 'courage,' and Sanskrit 'hrd,' one of the most ancient and widely distributed roots in the Indo-European family.
Of or relating to the heart.
From Latin 'cardiacus,' from Greek 'kardiakós' (καρδιακός, of or pertaining to the heart), from 'kardía' (καρδία, heart), from PIE *kerd- (heart). The PIE root *kerd- is one of the most widespread in the family, appearing in Latin as 'cor/cordis,' in Old English as 'heorte,' in Welsh as 'calon,' in Sanskrit as 'hrd,' and in Greek as 'kardía.' The physical organ and the seat of emotion and courage are united
The PIE root *kerd- (heart) is the ancestor of both 'cardiac' and 'courage.' In Old French, 'corage' meant the seat of feelings — from Latin 'cor' (heart). To have courage was literally to have heart. The same ancient root pulses through 'accord' (hearts together), 'discord' (hearts apart), and the Sanskrit
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity