Herr German · revision 35080

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation, semantic loan|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *hairaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /hɛr/, [hɛʁ], [hɛr]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Herr''' ''m'' (genitive Herrn or (archaic) Herren, plural Herren or (archaic) Herrn, diminutive Herrchen n or Herrlein n or Herrl n, feminine Herrin)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older full form ''Herre'' lives on in poetry and dialect.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|10, 1124) Since Gottsched the singular cases have been ''Herrn'' and the plural ''Herren''.^(DWB|10, 1124)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|hērre]], [[inh|goh|hērro]], shortened from [[m|goh|hēriro]], the comparative of [[m|goh|hēr|t=old, venerable]], the modern [[hehr]]: properly “the older, the more venerable one”.^(Kluge 2011|412)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The comparative has been used as a noun since the 8th century after the model of [[la|senior|t=older; lord]], itself a comparative used as a title, so the German word is probably a semantic loan.^(Kluge 2011|412)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|368)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Pfeifer places the model in Frankish of the 7th and 8th centuries, under the influence of Romance terms such as [[fro|seignor]] and [[m|fro|sire]], and notes that the new word gradually displaced the older words for the lord of a retinue, [[goh|frō]] and [[m|goh|truhtīn]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The same word is [[osx|hērro]], [[ofs|hēra]] and [[nl|heer]].^(Kluge 2011|412)^(Pfeifer 1993) [[ang|hearra]] and [[non|herra]] were borrowed, from German according to Kluge, from Old Saxon according to Pfeifer.^(Kluge 2011|412)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The adjective continues [[gem-pro|*hairaz|t=grey]], “grey-haired”, which developed to “venerable” in West Germanic and further to “noble” in German, while [[m|non|hárr]] and [[m|ang|hār]] still mean “grey” ([[en|hoar]]).^(Kluge 2011|403)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer traces it to the root [[ine-pro|*ḱei-]], found mainly in words for dark or grey colours, and compares [[sga|cīar|t=dark]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''hēriro'' and its shortened forms are recorded from the 8th century, in glosses (765) and in texts such as the Hildebrandslied, the Isidor and the Benedictine Rule, meaning “lord, ruler” but also “elder, superior, prior” and “senator”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|149) Otfrid still uses the full comparative ''hērero'' for “lord”.^(DWB|10, 1124)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''hērre'' was the master of any dependant, a patron saint, a cleric, a husband and a noble vassal; before names and titles it was shortened to ''hēr'', as in ''her keiser'' and ''her Otte'' (Otto IV).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Lexer 1872|1, 1259) It has been used of God since Middle High German, as in Luther's ''der HERR''.^(Paul 2002) As a term of address the word passed from the powerful to town councillors and mayors, and since the 18th century it has been the general polite word and form of address for any man.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Old phrases are ''über etwas Herr werden'' “to master something” (16th century) and ''sein eigener Herr sein''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) In student language ''alter Herr'' was a former member of a fraternity, and then, in the 19th century, “father”.^(Pfeifer 1993) The feminine [[Herrin]] dates from the 16th century, the adjective [[herrisch]] “domineering” from the 17th.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|368) Hegel opposed ''Herr'' and ''Knecht'' as the independent and the dependent consciousness (1807).^(Paul 2002) The exclamation ''Herrgott!'' was borrowed into Czech as ''hergot''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''hēriro'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * Early 15th century – ''Herrgott'' “Lord God” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The feminine ''Herrin'' and the phrase ''über etwas Herr werden'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The adjective ''herrisch'' “domineering” is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''Herr'' becomes the general form of address for any man.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1807 – Hegel's ''Phänomenologie des Geistes'' contrasts master and servant.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – ''alter Herr'' comes to mean “father” in colloquial use.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A man, used as the polite word in social life: ''ein älterer Herr mit Hut''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|gentleman]], a cultivated man: ''den großen Herrn spielen'' “to play the fine gentleman”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A title and form of address for a man, before the name or office: ''Herr Becker'', ''Herr Direktor'' ([[m|en|mister]], [[m|en|sir]]).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|master]] or [[m|en|lord]], someone who has power over people or things: ''Herr über etwas sein'', ''Herr der Lage sein''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(Christianity)'' God, the Lord.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' In the plural, the men's team or competition: ''bei den Herren''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(historical)'' The lowest title of the German nobility.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Herrin]]

+ * [[herrisch]]

+ * [[Herrgott]]

+ * [[Herrchen]]

+ * [[Hausherr]]

+ * [[Herrenhaus]]

+ * [[Herrenmensch]]

+ * [[Herrenmoral]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hehr]]

+ * [[herrschen]]

+ * [[herrlich]]

+ * [[Herrschaft]]

+ * [[Senior]]

+ * [[en|hoar]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Herr'' is a weak noun: genitive, dative and accusative singular ''Herrn''.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|10, 1124) Colloquially ''Alter Herr'' is a humorous word for one's father, and ''aus aller Herren Länder'' means “from all over the world”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) The diminutive [[Herrchen]] is the owner of a dog.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}