Where does “herr” come from?
herr (German) comes from Middle High German herre, from Old High German hēriro, from Proto-Germanic hairaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₃- — darkness, shadow.
Ancestry of “herr”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | herre | — |
| 2 | Old High German | hēriro | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hairaz | grey; aged; old; lofty; distinguished |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |