here
/ˈxe.re/masculine
Army in Old English is here, while fierd is another word for an armed force. If unsure, use here.
Meaning: military force concerned mainly with ground operations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old English | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| here | /ˈxe.re/ /ˈxeː.re/ |
masculine |
| fierd | /fi͜yrd/ | feminine |
here is the general word for an army or a host of fighting men. In the Anglo Saxon Chronicle it is the usual word for the invading Viking armies.
Which one should you use?
here often refers to a raiding or enemy army. fierd is the word behind the English fyrd, the army raised from the local population to defend the land.
How does it change in a sentence?
here is a masculine noun and fierd is feminine. After mid, with, the feminine noun takes the form firde.
How do you pronounce it?
here is pronounced /ˈxe.re/, in two syllables with the stress on the first. Both letters e are sounded, and the h is a breathy sound.
Did you know?
- The word 'army' shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'horn', through the Proto-Indo-European root *ker- which relates to things that are pointed or sharp.
- While here described an invading force, fierd was derived from a word meaning 'journey' or 'expedition'. This suggests that the local army was viewed as a mobilized group on a specific mission rather than a permanent standing force.
- The word 'fierd' undergoes a spelling change to 'firde' when used after the preposition 'mid', following the rules of Old English declension.
Examples in context
- Ure here rǣsedon þæt cynerīċe.Our army attacked the kingdom.Ure here means our army.Tatoeba #8902699 by iiujik, translation #29218 by Yepthatscool
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
Fuluius sē consul fōr mid firde on Crēce tō þǣm beorgum þe mon Olimphus hæt.The consul Fulvius went to Greece with an army, to the mountain known as Olympus.mid firde means with an army. - Se here is strang.The army is strong.
Example conversation
Two villagers discuss an approaching threat.
- GodricHēr cumeþ se here!The army comes here!
- WulfrunHwǣr is se cyning?Where is the king?
- GodricHe lǣde his here tō þǣm wealle.He led his army to the wall.
- WulfrunNū sculon wē fēran.Now we must flee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “army” translations and entries here, fierd, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fierd, here, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
