Where does “herdess” come from?
herdess (English) comes from English herd, from Dutch hert, from Middle Dutch hert, from Old Dutch herth, from Proto-West Germanic herþ, from Proto-Germanic herþaz, from Proto-Indo-European kérh₃-to-s, from Proto-Indo-European kerh₃- — to burn; to praise; to burn; fire, heat.
herdess (English): A shepherdess; a female herder
Definitions
- A shepherdess; a female herder
Ancestry of “herdess”, step by step
herdess traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English herd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | herd | A number of domestic animals assembled together... |
| 2 | Dutch | hert | A deer, a ruminant of the family Cervidae; may... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | hert | deer; hearth, fireplace |
| 4 | Old Dutch | herth | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | herþ | hearth, fireplace |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | herþaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kérh₃-to-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kerh₃- | to burn; to praise; to burn; fire, heat |