Cuerda

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A long strand or rope often made of twisted fibers, used for binding or tying objects together
2. A stringed component of musical instruments, providing sound when plucked or struck
3. An essential element in various DIY crafts and projects, utilized for its durability and flexibility

Etymology: The Spanish "cuerda" is the same word that English split into two: "chord" and "cord." It comes from Latin "chorda," which in turn came from Greek "chordē," meaning the gut of an animal, which was used to make the strings of musical instruments and bowstrings. The Spanish form kept the sense of a rope or line, and English borrowed it directly, so "cuerda" in English carries the same plain meaning of a length of twisted or braided material. The English word "cord" arrived through Old French, which gave it a sense of a rope or thread, while "chord" took the musical meaning of notes sounded together, a link that goes back to the idea of stretched strings. Borrowing "cuerda" directly preserved a version of the original idea that the two English words separated.

Synonyms: string, rope, cord, line, twine