𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃

From Proto-Germanic *hirdijaz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛr.diːs/

𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃 • (hairdeis) m

2. herdsman (a person who tends to livestock)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of John (Codex Argenteus) 10.2:^[1]

     𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐌰 𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌴.

     iþ sa inngaggands þairh daur hairdeis ist lambē.

     But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 2.18:^[2]

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐌹 𐌸𐌰𐌹 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌽 𐌱𐌹 𐌸𐍉 𐍂𐍉𐌳𐌹𐌳𐍉𐌽𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌿 𐌹𐌼.

     jah allai þai gahausjandans sildaleikidēdun bi þō rōdidōna fram þaim hairdjam du im.

     And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (KJV).

3. (figurative, Christianity) pastor (someone with spiritual authority over a group of people)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Epistle to the Ephesians (Codex Ambrosianus A) 4.11:^[3]

     𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐌰 𐌲𐌰𐍆 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐍀𐌰𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌻(𐌿)𐌽𐍃, 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌶𐌿𐌸~𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐍀𐍂𐌰𐌿𐍆𐌴𐍄𐌿𐌽𐍃, 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃𐌿𐌸~𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌴𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐍃, 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐌰𐌽𐍃𐌿𐌸~𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍃,

     jah silba gaf sumans apaustaul(u)ns, sumanzuþ~þan praufētuns, sumansuþ~þan aiwaggēlistans, sumansuþ~þan hairdjans jah laisarjans,

     And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (KJV).

• In the surviving handful of attestations from the Bible of this word, it refers to shepherds specifically. But the closely related 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 (hairda, “herd”) does not refer solely to sheep but also to other animals such as swine, so it may be assumed that this word was used for herdsmen in general, not only shepherds. Furthermore, this word consistently translates Ancient Greek ποιμήν (poimḗn), which is also not merely used of shepherds but also of herdsmen of other types of livestock.

• 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 (hairda, “herd”)

• 𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌸𐌹 (awēþi, “flock of sheep”)
• 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 (awistr, “sheepfold”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (laisareis, “teacher”)
• 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰 (wulla, “wool”)

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 53