Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “heard” come from?

heard (English) comes from Middle English herde, from Old English hierde, from Proto-West Germanic hirdī, from Proto-Germanic hirdijaz, from Proto-Germanic herdō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱerdʰ- — herd, row; file, row, herd.

heard (English): simple past tense and past participle of hear;...

Definitions

  1. simple past tense and past participle of hear;...

Ancestry of “heard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishherde—
2Old Englishhierdeherdsman; guardian, keeper, protector
3Proto-West Germanichirdīherdsman, herder
4Proto-Germanichirdijazherder, herdsman
5Proto-Germanicherdōherd
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱerdʰ-herd, row; file, row, herd

Words derived from “heard”

  • unheard
  • heardest
  • underheard
  • 'eard
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱerdʰ- →