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