"hird" meaning in Middle English

See hird in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /hiːrd/, /heːrd/, /ˈhiːrɛd/ (note: chiefly early) Forms: herd [alternative], herde [alternative], hert [alternative], hired [alternative], hyrd [alternative], hyrt [alternative], hirð [alternative], hireden [alternative], hirt [alternative]
Etymology: From Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, equivalent to hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”). Etymology templates: {{etymid|enm|household}}, {{inh|enm|ang|hīred}} Old English hīred, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*hīwarād}} Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, {{af|enm|hewe|red|id1=servant|id2=counsel|t1=servant|t2=counsel}} hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”) Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=|var=}} hird, {{enm-noun|-}} hird (uncountable), {{tlb|enm|poetic}} (poetic)
  1. A household or court. Tags: poetic, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-tlJTt8UK Categories (other): Household, Nobility Disambiguation of Household: 60 16 7 12 2 2 Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
  2. A company or band of people:
    One's attendants; a retinue.
    Tags: poetic, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-KgqinI2s Categories (other): Pages with entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Collectives, Family, Nobility Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 18 19 1 1 21 2 14 1 1 15 1 2 1 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 13 37 3 3 Disambiguation of Collectives: 4 39 11 39 4 4 Disambiguation of Family: 0 34 34 32 0 0 Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
  3. A company or band of people:
    An army; a troop.
    Tags: poetic, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-P1hL8d~~ Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Collectives, Family, Military, Nobility Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 13 37 3 3 Disambiguation of Collectives: 4 39 11 39 4 4 Disambiguation of Family: 0 34 34 32 0 0 Disambiguation of Military: 0 0 100 0 0 0 Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
  4. (rare) One's offspring or progeny. Tags: poetic, rare, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-wAfef6Eq Categories (other): Pages with entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Collectives, Family, Nobility Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 18 19 1 1 21 2 14 1 1 15 1 2 1 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 4 39 13 37 3 3 Disambiguation of Collectives: 4 39 11 39 4 4 Disambiguation of Family: 0 34 34 32 0 0 Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: hirdman
Etymology number: 1

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|var=1}} hird
  1. alternative form of herde (“herd”) Tags: alt-of, alternative, poetic Alternative form of: herde (extra: herd)
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-FvBnvxzV Categories (other): Nobility Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|var=1}} hird
  1. alternative form of herde (“herder”) Tags: alt-of, alternative, poetic Alternative form of: herde (extra: herder)
    Sense id: en-hird-enm-noun-DBIUN~Ms Categories (other): Nobility Disambiguation of Nobility: 17 17 17 17 17 17
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "household"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymid"
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hīred"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hīred",
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    {
      "args": {
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        "t2": "counsel"
      },
      "expansion": "hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”)",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, equivalent to hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "herd",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "herde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hert",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hired",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hyrd",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hyrt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hirð",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hireden",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hirt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
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        "g2": "",
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      },
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    }
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  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "hirdman"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "60 16 7 12 2 2",
          "kind": "other",
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          "name": "Household",
          "orig": "enm:Household",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A household or court."
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-tlJTt8UK",
      "links": [
        [
          "household",
          "household"
        ],
        [
          "court",
          "court"
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      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "2 18 19 1 1 21 2 14 1 1 15 1 2 1",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 39 13 37 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 39 11 39 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Collectives",
          "orig": "enm:Collectives",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 34 34 32 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Family",
          "orig": "enm:Family",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A company or band of people:",
        "One's attendants; a retinue."
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-KgqinI2s",
      "links": [
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "band",
          "band"
        ],
        [
          "attendant",
          "attendant"
        ],
        [
          "retinue",
          "retinue"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 39 13 37 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 39 11 39 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Collectives",
          "orig": "enm:Collectives",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 34 34 32 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Family",
          "orig": "enm:Family",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 0 100 0 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Military",
          "orig": "enm:Military",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A company or band of people:",
        "An army; a troop."
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-P1hL8d~~",
      "links": [
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "band",
          "band"
        ],
        [
          "army",
          "army"
        ],
        [
          "troop",
          "troop"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 18 19 1 1 21 2 14 1 1 15 1 2 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 39 13 37 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
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          "_dis": "4 39 11 39 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Collectives",
          "orig": "enm:Collectives",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 34 34 32 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Family",
          "orig": "enm:Family",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One's offspring or progeny."
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-wAfef6Eq",
      "links": [
        [
          "offspring",
          "offspring"
        ],
        [
          "progeny",
          "progeny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) One's offspring or progeny."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "rare",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hiːrd/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/heːrd/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhiːrɛd/",
      "note": "chiefly early"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "var": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "hird",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "herd",
          "word": "herde"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of herde (“herd”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-FvBnvxzV",
      "links": [
        [
          "herde",
          "herde#Middle_English:_herd"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "poetic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "3",
  "head_templates": [
    {
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      "expansion": "hird",
      "name": "head"
    }
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  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
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          "extra": "herder",
          "word": "herde"
        }
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      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "17 17 17 17 17 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
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          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of herde (“herder”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-hird-enm-noun-DBIUN~Ms",
      "links": [
        [
          "herde",
          "herde#Middle_English:_herder"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
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      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English compound terms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English poetic terms",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English uncountable nouns",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Collectives",
    "enm:Family",
    "enm:Household",
    "enm:Military",
    "enm:Nobility"
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  "etymology_number": "1",
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      "name": "inh"
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    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hīwarād"
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      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
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        "t2": "counsel"
      },
      "expansion": "hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”)",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, equivalent to hewe (“servant”) + red (“counsel”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "herd",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "herde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hert",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hired",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hyrd",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hyrt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hirð",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hireden",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hirt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
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      "expansion": "hird",
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  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
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      "word": "hirdman"
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  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A household or court."
      ],
      "links": [
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          "court",
          "court"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
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      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A company or band of people:",
        "One's attendants; a retinue."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "band",
          "band"
        ],
        [
          "attendant",
          "attendant"
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        [
          "retinue",
          "retinue"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A company or band of people:",
        "An army; a troop."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "band",
          "band"
        ],
        [
          "army",
          "army"
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        [
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          "troop"
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      ],
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        "poetic",
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      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One's offspring or progeny."
      ],
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          "offspring",
          "offspring"
        ],
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          "progeny",
          "progeny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) One's offspring or progeny."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic",
        "rare",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/hiːrd/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/heːrd/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhiːrɛd/",
      "note": "chiefly early"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
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    "enm:Family",
    "enm:Household",
    "enm:Military",
    "enm:Nobility"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
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      "expansion": "hird",
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    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "herd",
          "word": "herde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of herde (“herd”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "herde",
          "herde#Middle_English:_herd"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
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      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
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    "enm:Family",
    "enm:Household",
    "enm:Military",
    "enm:Nobility"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "3",
  "head_templates": [
    {
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      "expansion": "hird",
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    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "herder",
          "word": "herde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of herde (“herder”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "herde",
          "herde#Middle_English:_herder"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "poetic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hird"
}

Download raw JSONL data for hird meaning in Middle English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.