hærfest
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Apparently borrowed into West Saxon from Mercian; the expected West Saxon form would be *hierfest. From Proto-West Germanic *harbist. A North Germanic variant *harbustaz was the source of Old Norse haust (Swedish höst, Icelandic haust).
Cognates
Cognate with Old Frisian herfst (West Frisian hjerst), Old Saxon hervist (Low German harvst), Dutch herfst, Old High German herbist (German Herbst). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek καρπός (karpós, “fruit”), Latin carpō (“pick, pluck”), Middle Irish corrán (“sickle”), Lithuanian kirpti (“cut”), Old Church Slavonic чрьпати (črĭpati) (Russian серп (serp, “sickle”)).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈxær.fest/, [ˈhærˠ.vest]
Noun
hærfest m
- harvest
- autumn, fall
- c. 994, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year
- Rōmanisc̄e lēodan ongynnað heora ġēar æfter hǣðenum ġewunan on winterlīċere tīde. Ebrei healdað heora geares annginn on lenctenlīcre emnihte. Đā Grēcisċan onginnað hyra ġēar æt ðām sunnstede; ⁊ ða Egiptisċan on hærfest.
- The Roman people begin theirs, after the heathen custom, in the winter time. The Hebrews observe the beginning of their year on the vernal equinox. The Greeks begin their year at the solstice; and the Egyptians in the fall.
- c. 994, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year
Declension
Strong a-stem:
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | hærfest | hærfestas |
| accusative | hærfest | hærfestas |
| genitive | hærfestes | hærfesta |
| dative | hærfeste | hærfestum |
Derived terms
Descendants
See also
| Seasons in Old English · tīde (layout · text) · category | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| lencten (“spring”) | sumor (“summer”) | hærfest (“autumn”) | winter (“winter”) |