heorot
/ˈxe͜o.rot/masculine
The Old English word for deer is heorot.
The term refers to an animal of the family Cervidae.
Meaning: animal of the family Cervidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
heorot is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈxeo.rot/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- heorot is related to the Latin cervus, 'deer', through an old root meaning 'horn'.
- The Old English word heorot is the namesake of the famous mead-hall in the epic poem 'Beowulf'.
- While heorot specifically meant a stag or a hart, the general English word 'deer' actually comes from the Old English word deor, which meant any wild animal.
Example sentences for Old English are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Eadgyth and Godric are walking through a forest.
- EadgythHwæt is þæt, Godric?What is that, Godric?
- GodricÞæt is micel heorot.That is a large deer.
- EadgythHe is swiþe fæger.He is very beautiful.
- GodricHē geseah ūs.He saw us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deer” translations and entries heorot, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heorot, CC BY-SA 4.0.
