# hird
## English
### Etymology

Borrowed from Norwegian hird, from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād (“relationship; family”), equivalent to hewe +‎ rede. Cognate with German Heirat (“wedding”).

### Noun

hird (plural hirds)
* (historical) In Norwegian history, an informal retinue of personal armed companions, hirdmen or housecarls.
* (by extension) The formal royal court household.

#### Derived terms

* hirdman

### Anagrams

* HDRI, IRHD

## Middle English
### Etymology 1

From Old English hīred, hēored (“family, household”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād, equivalent to hewe (“servant”) +‎ red (“counsel”).

#### Alternative forms

* herd, herde, hert, hired, hyrd, hyrt
* (early) hirð, hireden, hirt

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /hiːrd/, /heːrd/
* (chiefly early) IPA: /ˈhiːrɛd/

#### Noun

hird (uncountable) (poetic)
* A household; a court.
* A company or band of people:
** One's attendants; a retinue.
** An army; a troop.
* (rare) One's offspring or progeny.

##### Related terms

* hirdman

##### References

* “hīred, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

hird
* Alternative form of herde (“herd”)

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

hird
* Alternative form of herde (“herder”)

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Danish hird, from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād.

### Pronunciation

* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

### Noun

hird (definite singular, indefinite plural, definite plural)
* An informal retinue of personal armed companions.
* (by extension) the formal royal court household.

#### Related terms

* hirdmann

#### Descendants

* → English: hird

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Alternative forms

* hyrd

### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Norse hirð in the 19th century. The Old Norse word itself is borrowed from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /hird/, (expected but unattested) /hɪːr/
* Rhymes: -ird
* Note: As the name is revived through writing, the expected pronunciation without /d/ is unattested.

### Noun

hird f (definite singular hirda)
* (historical) bodyguard for chieftain or king
* By extension, the formal royal court household.

#### Related terms

* hirdmann

#### Descendants

* → English: hird

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Swedish hirþ (“bodyguard”), from Old Norse hirð, a borrowing from Old English hīred, from Proto-West Germanic *hīwarād (“relationship; family”). Related to German Heirat (“wedding”) and English hired. See also Icelandic hirð.

### Noun

hird c
* (historical) bodyguard for chieftain or king

#### Declension

| | | nominative | genitive |
| singular | indefinite | hird | hirds |
| singular | definite | hirden | hirdens |
| plural | indefinite | hirder | hirders |
| plural | definite | hirderna | hirdernas |

#### Derived terms

* hirdman

### References

* hird in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* hird in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* hird in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
* hird in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)