Where does “Hershel” come from?
Hershel comes from Yiddish הירשעל, derived from Yiddish הירש, from Middle High German hirz, from Old High German hiruz, from Proto-Germanic herutaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂-.
Ancestry of “Hershel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Yiddish | הירשעל | — |
| 2 | Yiddish | הירש | deer, buck |
| 3 | Middle High German | hirz | — |
| 4 | Old High German | hiruz | deer |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | herut | deer, stag |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | herutaz | deer, stag |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱerh₂- | head, top; horn |