An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Herd

by Friedrich Kluge

Herd, m., ‘hearth, fireplace, crater,’ from MidHG. hërt (-des), m., ‘ground, earth, fireplace, hearth,’ OHG. hërd, m., hërda, f., ‘ground, hearth.’ This double sense is wanting in the other West Teut. languages, Du. heerd, haard, m., ‘hearth,’ OSax. herth, AS. heorþ, E. hearth, The meaning of herþa- (Goth. *haírþs), ‘hearth,’ is West Teut., while ‘ground’ is simply HG.; it is not improbable that two orig. different words have been combined (comp. OIc. hjarl, ‘ground, land’?). Herd, ‘hearth,’ with Goth. haúri, n., ‘charcoal’ (plur. haurja, ‘fire’), OIc. hyrr, m., ‘fire,’ may be connected with a Teut. root hĕr, ‘to burn’ (comp. Lat. crĕ-mare).