herr

From Proto-Albanian *skarna, from Proto-Indo-European *sker- (“to cut”). Related to harr.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /hɛr/

herr f (plural herra, definite herri, definite plural herrat)

1. dwarf, small creature

• harr
• harrje
• harlë

Formed from herre (“gentleman, master”) by the same mechanism as grev, kong, fru. Note that Danish usually doesn't allow double consonants in non-intervocalic contexts.

herr

1. (dated) mister (title)
   • 1942, Carlo Andersen, Politiet beder os efterlyse, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     »Det var et ganske besynderligt Indkøb, Herr Jensen,« indrømmede Wengel, i et krampagtigt Forsøg paa at oparbejde den fornødne Interesse.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1921, Ingeniøren: ugeblad udgivet af Dansk Ingeniørforening:

     Vi undlader dog ikke at bemærke, at vi, forinden Prøven blev afholdt, paa alle Maader søgte at overbevise Herr Jensen om, at en sammenlignende Prøve foretaget paa den Maade vilde være spildt Ulejlighed.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Today, appears almost exclusively in the abbreviated form hr.

From Proto-Norse ᚺᚨᚱᛃᚨ (harja) (accusative), from Proto-Germanic *harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“war”).

herr m (genitive herjar)

1. crowd, multitude; host (as in a host of men)
2. army, host, troops (on land or sea)
3. (in the plural) men, warriors

• einherjar pl (“dead warriors in Valhalla”)
• landherr (“land-host”)
• -arr (see there)

• Herjann

• Icelandic: her
• Faroese: herur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: her
• Old Swedish: hær
  • Swedish: här
• Danish: hær
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hær
    • → Norwegian Nynorsk: hær

Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “herr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

See herre (“lord, master, gentleman”)

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛr/, [hærː]

herr c

1. (dated or formal) Mr., Mister, gentleman, sir (respectful term of address or (part of a) title for an adult male – a form of herre)

   Har herr Nilsson hört av sig än?

   Have you heard from Mr. Nilsson yet?

   Vad vill herrn ha till efterrätt?

   What would you like for dessert, sir? [What would the gentleman like for dessert?]

   Ja, herr president

   Yes, Mr. President

   • 1904, Selma Lagerlöf, The Treasure‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 December 2019, page 6:

     I Solberga prästgård satt prästen, herr Arne, och åt aftonvard i kretsen av allt sitt husfolk.

     At Solberga parsonage, the priest, herr Arne, sat at supper surrounded by all his household.

   Note: After the you-reform of the 1960's and 70's usage of the first name is seen as more proper, except under the most formal circumstances (e.g. military or royalty).

The speaker of the riksdag is customarily addressed as "herr talman (“speaker”)" (Mr. speaker).

• herre
• fru
• fröken

• herr in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• herr in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• herr in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)