cord
Meaning
a thin, flexible string or rope made of several twisted strands
a length of such material used for tying or connecting things
a ribbed fabric, especially corduroy
an anatomical structure resembling a string, such as a spinal cord or vocal cord
a unit for measuring cut wood, equal to 128 cubic feet
Usage
she tied the package securely with a thick cord.
the speaker wires were connected by a single audio cord.
he injured his spinal cord in the accident.
Etymology
the word 'cord' entered english in the late 14th century from the old french 'corde', meaning 'rope, string, twist'. the old french term itself originated from the latin 'chorda', which was borrowed from the greek 'khordē', signifying 'gut-string' of a musical instrument. the greek term is traced back to the proto-indo-european root ǵʰerə-, meaning 'gut, entrail', reflecting the original material used for making strings. the semantic journey from a physical 'gut-string' to a generalized term for any flexible, string-like object demonstrates a classic process of material-based meaning broadening.
Analysis
the word 'cord' is a simplex word derived as a whole from latin and old french. it does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern english spelling.