English
hards
Hards comes from Middle English herde ‘piece of hards’, from Old English heorde ‘headhair’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kes- ‘to comb, card’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kes-‘to comb, card’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hezdǭreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*heʀdā‘tow, flax fibre’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150heorde‘headhair’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150heordan‘hards of flax, tow’weak feminine plural of heorde
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500herde‘piece of hards’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500herdesplural of herde
- Englishtodayhards
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kes-‘to comb, card’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hezdǭreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*heʀdā‘tow, flax fibre’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150heorde‘headhair’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150heordan‘hards of flax, tow’weak feminine plural of heorde
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500herde‘piece of hards’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500herdesplural of herde
- Englishtodayhards
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kes- ‘to comb, card’
hair, herring, xylem, xylitol, 8 more
through Middle English herde ‘piece of hards’
Today it means
noun The short coarser fibers of flax or hemp; tow.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kes- / hards