An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Pferd

by Friedrich Kluge

Pferd, neuter, ‘horse,’ from Middle High German pfërt (-des), neuter, ‘horse,’ especially ‘riding-horse, lady’s horse’ (in contrast to Roß, ‘war-horse’), with the earlier variants pfërit for *pfërirît, Old High German (from the 10th century) pferfrī̆t, pfarifrī̆d; corresponding to Low German pęrid, Dutch paard. The word seems to be Franconian and Saxon (in the Upper German dialects the old terms Roß and Gaul are still the prevalent terms; it was probably borrowed (about the 8th century?) from the early Middle Latin paraverêdus, parifredus (f for v as in Käfig; the change of v into f in this case, however, is common to Teutonic). Parverêdus, ‘horse,’ literally ‘near horse,’ is derived from Greek παρά and Middle Latin verêdus, ‘horse’ (allied to Keltic rêda, ‘waggon’). In the Keltic group, Welsh gorwydd, ‘steed,’ was retained. The Romance languages retain the Middle Latin word (in the Middle Latin collateral form palafrêdus, palafrênus) in the sense of ‘palfrey’; compare French palefroi (English palfrey), Latin palafreno.