link
Meaning
To make a connection between two or more people, things, or ideas.
A relationship or connection between two or more things.
One ring or loop of a chain.
Usage
The new highway will link the two major cities.
There is a clear link between diet and health.
A weak link in the chain caused the entire system to fail.
Etymology
The word 'link' entered Middle English from Old Norse 'hlenkr', which referred specifically to a ring or loop within a chain. This Norse term is related to Old English 'hlence', meaning coat of mail, and both likely derive from the Proto-Germanic root 'hlankiz', implying something that bends or connects. The core concept of a physical, interlocking connector evolved naturally into the modern abstract meanings of relationship and connection. The journey from a tangible chain ring to a verb describing the act of joining ideas illustrates a classic path of semantic broadening from the concrete to the abstract.
Analysis
The word 'link' is a simplex word of Scandinavian origin, borrowed from Old Norse 'hlenkr', meaning a ring of a chain. It functions as a complete lexical unit.