Where does “shepherd” come from?

Shepherd comes from Middle English shepherde, from Old English scēphyrde, a compound of Old English sċēap (sheep) and Proto-Germanic hirdijaz (herder), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kerdʰ- (to care for or tend).

shepherd (English): A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing...

Definitions

A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing...

Ancestry of “shepherd”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	schepherde	shepherd
2	Old English	sċēaphierde	—
3	Old English	sċēap	sheep
4	Proto-West Germanic	skāp	sheep
5	Proto-Germanic	skapą	shape
6	Proto-Germanic	skapjaną	to make, to create; to shape
7	Proto-Indo-European	skab-	to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

Words derived from “shepherd”

shepherdess
Shepperd
shepherdless
undershepherd
shepherdish
shepherdlike
shepherdship
shepherdly
shepherdling
shepherdeth
Shepherd
unshepherdly
shepherde
unshepherdlike
shepherdism
jabōt

Every word from Proto-Indo-European skab- →

shepherd — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer