entry
chordata
/kɔːrˈdeɪtə/Animal phylum defined by a notochord
From Latin, ultimately Proto-Indo-European chord (cord).
Word Ancestry
Long before “chord” meant a pleasing stack of musical notes, a chorda was simply a cord—often a string made from animal gut. That humble material supplied the metaphor behind Chordata, the zoological name introduced in 1880 for animals that possess a notochord or related dorsal support at some stage of life. The name is therefore less about music than anatomy: a chordate embryo carries a tiny flexible rod where a backbone will later develop, or retains it as its main support. The same family of words can make a violin sing and describe the body plan of a fish, a bird, or a human being. Remember the image: Chordata is the phylum of animals whose earliest blueprint includes a living cord running down the back.
The Story
Long before “chord” meant a pleasing stack of musical notes, a chorda was simply a cord—often a string made from animal gut. That humble material supplied the metaphor behind Chordata, the zoological name introduced in 1880 for animals that possess a notochord or related dorsal support at some stage of life. The name is therefore less about music than anatomy: a chordate embryo carries a tiny flexible rod where a backbone will later develop, or retains it as its main support. The same family of words can make a violin sing and describe the body plan of a fish, a bird, or a human being. Remember the image: Chordata is the phylum of animals whose earliest blueprint includes a living cord running down the back.
Kin & Kindred
From 'chord'·cord, gut, string; a body-supporting cord
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary