herr

From Proto-Albanian *skarna, from Proto-Indo-European *sker- (“to cut”). Related to harr.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /hɛr/

herr f (plural herra, definite herri, definite plural herrat)

1. dwarf, small creature

• harr
• harrje
• harlë

Formed from herre (“gentleman, master”) by the same mechanism as grev, kong, fru. Note that Danish usually doesn't allow double consonants in non-intervocalic contexts.

herr

1. (dated) mister (title)
   • 1942, Carlo Andersen, Politiet beder os efterlyse, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     »Det var et ganske besynderligt Indkøb, Herr Jensen,« indrømmede Wengel, i et krampagtigt Forsøg paa at oparbejde den fornødne Interesse.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1921, Ingeniøren: ugeblad udgivet af Dansk Ingeniørforening:

     Vi undlader dog ikke at bemærke, at vi, forinden Prøven blev afholdt, paa alle Maader søgte at overbevise Herr Jensen om, at en sammenlignende Prøve foretaget paa den Maade vilde være spildt Ulejlighed.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Today, appears almost exclusively in the abbreviated form hr.

From Proto-Norse ᚺᚨᚱᛃᚨ (harja) (accusative), from Proto-Germanic *harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“war”).

herr m (genitive herjar)

1. crowd, multitude; host (as in a host of men)
2. army, host, troops (on land or sea)
3. (in the plural) men, warriors

• einherjar pl (“dead warriors in Valhalla”)
• landherr (“land-host”)
• -arr (see there)

• Herjann

• Icelandic: her
• Faroese: herur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: her
• Old Swedish: hær
  • Swedish: här
• Danish: hær
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hær
    • → Norwegian Nynorsk: hær

Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “herr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Clipping of herre. Likely influenced by Middle Low German her and German Herr.

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛr/, [hærː]

herr c

1. (dated, formal) Mr., Mister, gentleman, sir (respectful term of address or title for an adult male)

   Coordinate term: fru

   Har herr Nilsson ringt än?

   Has Mr. Nilsson called yet?

   Ja, herr president!

   Yes, Mr. President!

   Vad vill herrn ha till efterrätt?

   What would you like for dessert, sir? [What would the gentleman like for dessert?]

Since the you-reform of the 1960s and '70s, using first names is generally preferred, except in the most formal settings. For example, a male speaker of the Riksdag is customarily addressed as herr talman ("Mr. Speaker").

• herr in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker