Origin and history of bow-string

[strung, elastic weapon for shooting arrows] Middle English boue, from Old English boga "archery bow; anything bent or arched, an arch, a rainbow," from Proto-Germanic *bugon (source also of Old Norse bogi, Old Frisian boga, Dutch boog, German Bogen "bow"), from PIE root *bheug- "to bend," with derivatives referring to bent, pliable, or curved objects.

The sense of "a looped knot," especially an ornamental one, is from 1540s. The musician's bow (1570s) formerly was curved like the archer's.

The former popularity of the longbow as a characteristic English weapon is attested in expressions such as bow-legged; to have the bent of (one's) bow "know one's intentions or inclinations" (1560s), to shoot in (another's) bow "practice an art other than one's own;" bow-hand "the left hand," hence "on the wrong side, inaccurately;" have two strings to (one's) bow "have more than one means to accomplish something;" draw the long bow "exaggerate, lie."

Middle English streng, from Old English streng "line, slender cord, thick thread," also a rope, also the string of a bow or harp, which tightly stretched produces the tone; in plural "tackle, rigging;" also "lineage, race." This is from Proto-Germanic *strangiz (source also of Old Norse strengr, Danish streng, Middle Dutch strenge, Dutch streng, Old High German strang, German Strang "rope, cord"). This is reconstructed to be from *strang- "taut, stiff," from a PIE root *strenk- "tight, narrow."

The sense gradually restricted by early Middle English to lines that are smaller than a rope. The meaning "a number of objects arranged in a file or on a string" is recorded by late 15c.; of successes, disasters, etc., "continuous series or succession," by 1710.

The Old English meaning "ligaments, tendons" is preserved in hamstring (n.), heart-strings.

To pull strings "control the course of affairs" (1860) is an image from marionette theater.

The meaning "limitation, stipulation" (1888) is American English, in political jargon, and could be from the (then-)common April Fool's prank of setting down a money-purse as though dropped, then from seclusion tugging it away with a hidden string when someone stoops to pick it up. Hence the figurative phrase no strings attached (by 1951), though this is confusable with the notion of puppet strings.

First string, second string, etc. in athletics (1863) is said to be from archers carrying a spare bowstring in the event the other broke. The figure of have two strings to one's bow "have alternative resources" is in English by 1540s.

Strings "stringed instruments" is attested from mid-14c.; string-band "band composed of stringed instruments" is by 1889, American English. String bean is from 1759, probably so called for its fibrous threads; string bikini is by 1974, for the straps that hold the fabric together.