fainthearted
Meaning
lacking courage or confidence; timid
Structure
Usage
his fainthearted approach to the negotiation resulted in a poor deal for his company.
she was too fainthearted to voice her disagreement in the crowded meeting.
the general dismissed the scouts as fainthearted and demanded a more aggressive reconnaissance.
Etymology
the word 'fainthearted' is a transparent compound formed within english. the first element, 'faint', entered middle english from old french with a sense of 'feigned' or 'cowardly', which evolved from the latin 'fingere', meaning 'to touch, form, or invent'. the second element, 'heart', is a native english word of ancient pie origin, long metaphorically associated with one's innermost feelings, spirit, and notably, courage. the suffix '-ed' attaches to the noun 'heart' to create the adjective 'hearted', meaning 'having a (specified kind of) heart'. thus, the literal construction 'having a faint heart' directly and logically yields the modern abstract meaning of being timid or lacking resolve, perfectly illustrating how physical metaphors for character traits become lexicalized.
Analysis
faint: from old french 'faint', past participle of 'feindre' (to feign, become weak), from latin 'fingere' (to shape, feign). functions as an adjective meaning weak or feeble. heart: from old english 'heorte', from proto-germanic 'hertô-', from pie 'ḱerd-'. functions as a noun representing the seat of courage and emotion. ed: from old english '-ed', '-od', '-ad', a suffix forming adjectives from nouns or other adjectives, indicating possession of a quality.