hirdman

English

Etymology

Calque of Norwegian hirdmann; equivalent to hird +‎ -man.

Noun

hirdman (plural hirdmen)

1. (historical) In Norwegian history, a member of a hird or royal household.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hīredman; equivalent to hird (“household”) +‎ man (“man”), but often reanalysed as hired (“hired”) +‎ mon.

Alternative forms

• heordmon, herdeman, herdman, hered-man, hirde-man, hird mane, hired man, hirid man, hyrdman, hyred-men, hyrede man, hyrid man, hyryd man
• (early) hiredman, hired-mon, iradmon

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhiːrdˌman/

Noun

hirdman (plural hirdmen)

1. A member of a royal household; an attendant.
2. A household servant.
3. (rare) A vassal; a subordinate.

References

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

Etymology 2

Noun

hirdman

1. Alternative form of herdeman