An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/hehr

by Friedrich Kluge

hehr, adjective, ‘exalted, sublime, sacred,’ from Middle High German hêr, adjective, ‘distinguished, exalted, proud, glad,’ also ‘sacred,’ Old High German and Old Low German hêr, ‘distinguished, exalted, splendid.’ The corresponding comparative is used in German in the sense of ‘dominus’; compare Herr, literally ‘the more distinguished, venerable’ (originally current in the Teutonic languages of Mid. Europe only). The original sense of the adjective is probably ‘venerable,’ for the English and Scandinavian adjective has the meaning ‘grey, hoary, old man’; Old Icelandic hárr, Anglo-Saxon hâr, English hoar (and the lengthened form hoary), ‘grey.’ Gothic *haira- (neuter singular masculine *hairs) is wanting. The common assumption of a Teutonic root hai, ‘to glitter, shine,’ from which an adjective hai-ra- can be derived with the double sense given above, is supported by Old Icelandic heið, ‘clearness of the sky’ (see under heiter), as well as by Gothic hais (dative plural haizam), neuter, ‘torch.’ With the root hai (from pre-Teutonic koi), Sanscrit ké-tú-s, masculine, ‘light, lustre, torch,’ is connected.