A few thousand years ago the word was "Cor," and it was a way of admiring certain people who always stayed the course and weren't afraid of speaking the truth. Those who were the first to jump in front of others to save them. Roman soldiers put a huge value on those who demonstrated courage. They're the ones who received extra pay and honors.
What's kind of funny is that the word started off as "Cor,", then it became "Corage," when the French and English started using it. What did our ancestors do with the word? Well, they added a "U," and it became "Courage." I guess our country was feisty then and didn't want anyone telling us what to call something.