When an animal is frightened, it may "turn tail" and run away. A frightened dog tucks its tail between its legs and runs. Or think of the tail end of an advancing army -- a traditional belief holds that this is where you will find the cowards lurking. Perhaps some or all of these factors influenced early French speakers to adapt their word "coe," meaning "tail" (from Latin "cauda," "tail") into "coart," a term naming all manner of scaredy-cats and chickens. By the 13th century, "coart" was borrowed into English where it became our word "coward."