Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, November 5th, 2024
the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Bible Encyclopedias
Coward

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Search for…
or
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Prev Entry
Cow-Tree
Next Entry
Cowdenbeath
Resource Toolbox
Additional Links

a term of contempt for one who, before danger, pain or trouble, shows fear, whether physical or moral. The derivation of the word has been obscured by a connexion in sense with the verb "cow," to instil fear into, which is derived from old Norse kuga, a word of similar meaning, and with the verb "cower," to crouch, which is also Scandinavian in origin.' The true derivation is from the French coe, an old form of queue, a tail, from Lat. cauda, hence couart or coward. The reference to "tail" is either to the expression "turn tail" in flight, or to the habit of animals dropping the tail between the legs when frightened; in heraldry, a lion in this position is a "lion coward." In the fable of Reynard the Fox the name of the hare is Coart, Kywart, Cuwaert or other variants.

Bibliography Information
Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Coward'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​bri/​c/coward.html. 1910.
 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile