hird - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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Borrowed from Norwegian hird, from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād (“relationship; family”), equivalent to hewe +‎ rede. Cognate with German Heirat (“wedding”).

hird (plural hirds)

  1. (historical) In Norwegian history, an informal retinue of personal armed companions, hirdmen or housecarls.
  2. (by extension) The formal royal court household.

From Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, equivalent to hewe (“servant”) +‎ red (“counsel”).

  • IPA(key): /hiːrd/, /heːrd/
  • (chiefly early) IPA(key): /ˈhiːrɛd/

hird (uncountable) (poetic)

  1. A household; a court.
  2. A company or band of people:
    1. One's attendants; a retinue.
    2. An army; a troop.
  3. (rare) One's offspring or progeny.

hird

  1. Alternative form of herde (“herd”)

hird

  1. Alternative form of herde (“herder”)

From Danish hird, from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād.

  This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

hird (definite singular, indefinite plural, definite plural)

  1. An informal retinue of personal armed companions.
  2. (by extension) the formal royal court household.

Learned borrowing from Old Norse hirð in the 19th century. The Old Norse word itself is borrowed from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād.

  • IPA(key): /hird/, (expected but unattested) /hɪːr/
  • Rhymes: -ird
  • Note: As the name is revived through writing, the expected pronunciation without /d/ is unattested.

hird f (definite singular hirda)

  1. (historical) bodyguard for chieftain or king
  2. By extension, the formal royal court household.

From Old Swedish hirþ (“bodyguard”), from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād (“relationship; family”). Related to German Heirat (“wedding”) and English hired. See also Icelandic hirð.

hird c

  1. (historical) bodyguard for chieftain or king
Declension of hird 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative hird hirden hirder hirderna
Genitive hirds hirdens hirders hirdernas