Where does “herd” come from?
Herd comes from Middle English herde, from Old English hierde, from Proto-Germanic herdō, from Proto-Indo-European kerdʰ-, a root meaning to care for or tend.
herd (English): A number of domestic animals assembled together...
Definitions
- A number of domestic animals assembled together...
Ancestry of “herd”, step by step
herd traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch hert
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | hert | A deer, a ruminant of the family Cervidae; may... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | hert | deer; hearth, fireplace |
| 3 | Old Dutch | herth | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | herþ | hearth, fireplace |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | herþaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kérh₃-to-s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kerh₃- | to burn; to praise; to burn; fire, heat |
via Middle English herde
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | herde | herd group of domesticated animals |
| 2 | Old English | hierde | herdsman; guardian, keeper, protector |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hirdī | herdsman, herder |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hirdijaz | herder, herdsman |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | herdō | herd |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱerdʰ- | herd, row; file, row, herd |