Middle English Dictionary Entry

hẹ̄rd(e n.(2)
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Entry Info

Forms hẹ̄rd(e n.(2) Also herede, heirde, hert, hard, herthe, ȝerd & heorde, heurde & hird(e, hirid, hierde & hurd(e, huirde. Pl. herdes, etc. & (early) hẹ̄rden, heorden, hīrden.
Etymology OE; cp. Merc. heorde, hiorde, Nhb. hiorde, WS hierde, hirde, hyrde. Also cp. OI hirðir. There are no clear-cut dialectal distinctions in ME, but in general hīrde is the dominant type in the N and NM dialects, although hẹ̄rde is frequent; hẹ̄rde predominates in the M dialects as a whole, with hi(e)rde frequent in the EM, heorde & hīrde frequent in the WM; hīrde & hūrde are commonest in S.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) A herdsman; a keeper of cattle, hogs, horses, goats, or any kind of livestock; asse ~, aver ~, calf ~, colt ~, cou ~, gelde ~, gos ~, got ~, hog ~, hors ~, lomb ~, mede ~, net ~, nout ~, oxe ~, pasture ~, pigge ~, quie ~, rother ~, ster ~, stirk ~, stod ~, stot ~, swin ~, wether ~, q.v.; (b) a shepherd; shepes ~; shep ~, q.v.; (c) as surname.
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2.
Fig. (a) A spiritual shepherd; a bishop, priest, etc.; -- often used of Christ; gostli ~, god ~; soule ~, q.v.; (b) a temporal ruler, king, shepherd of the people; also, master, director; of Fortune and astrological influences: ruler, master; of Esau: manager of property; (c) ouen ~, (one's) own master.
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3.
(a) In cpds. & combs.: ~ flok, a band of shepherds; ~ grom, a shepherd boy; ~ knape [OE hyrde-cnapa], a herdsman; ~ wort, one of the European plants of the genus Centaurium; prob. the common centaury (C. umbellatum); herdes purs, shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris); herdes staf, a bishop's crosier; (b) ?in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.246-7].
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