The muscular organs that pump blood through the body; symbols representing love, compassion, or the center of emotions.
From Old English 'heorte', related to Germanic and Indo-European roots meaning 'heart'. The organ's central role in life led to metaphorical extensions representing courage, love, and the core of personality across cultures.
Almost every human culture independently developed the heart as a symbol of emotion, despite knowing little about its actual function. This suggests something profound about how the rhythm and response of the heart to emotions creates a universal metaphorical connection.
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