hère

See also: here, Here, and herë

French

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɛʁ/
• Homophones: haire, haires, hères, r (general), air, aire, airent, aires, airs, ère, ères, erre, errent, erres, ers (unaspirated)

Etymology 1

From Middle French hayre (16th c.), which is

• either the same word as haire (“made of hair”) as hair shirts were worn chiefly by paupers and penitents;
• or from earlier her, her(r)e (“gentleman”, 14th c.), from Middle High German hērre, with semantic pejoration (perhaps through ironic use).

Noun

hère m (plural hères)

1. wretch (now only as pauvre hère, but formerly also on its own)

Etymology 2

18th century, likely borrowed from Dutch hert (“deer”).

Noun

hère m (plural hères)

1. a young stag older than 6 months but not yet a brocket

Further reading

• “hère”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.