English word origin

Etymology of herse

From Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”), from Middle French herce, herse. Doublet of hearse.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A kind of gate or portcullis, having iron bars, like a harrow, studded with iron spikes, hung above gateways so that it may be quickly lowered to impede the advance of an enemy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”), from Middle French herce, herse. Doublet of hearse.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionhiercheenm · type of harrow
Derivation mentionhercefrm
Doublet mentionhearseen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "hierche",
        "t": "type of harrow"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”)"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "herce"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French herce"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
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        "2": "hearse"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Obsolete form of hearse (“a carriage for the dead”). · A funeral ceremony.

verb

Alternative form of hearse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See hearse.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for herse →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-aGVyc2U