Where does “herdsman” come from?
Herdsman is a compound of English herd, from Old English hierde (shepherd), from Proto-Germanic herdō, from Proto-Indo-European kerdʰ-, combined with English man, from Old English man, from Proto-Indo-European men-.
herdsman (English): A person who tends livestock, especially cows and...
Definitions
- A person who tends livestock, especially cows and...
Ancestry of “herdsman”, step by step
| 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 |