- shepherd (n.)
- Old English sceaphierde, from sceap "sheep" + hierde "herder," from heord "a herd" (see herd). Cf. Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schaphirde, Middle High German schafhirte, German dialectal schafhirt. Shepherds customarily were buried with a tuft of wool in hand, to prove their occupation on Doomsday and be excused for often missing Sunday church. The metaphoric verbal sense of "watch over or guide" is first recorded 1820. Shepherd's pie is recorded from 1877.