A Hearse Was Originally a Harrow
A hearse carries a coffin. The word came from a farming rake, by way of a spiked candle frame in church.
A hearse is a vehicle for carrying a coffin. Its history runs through three objects: a Latin *hirpex* was a harrow, an agricultural rake with spikes; the shape was borrowed for a triangular frame holding candles above a coffin; and the word then transferred to the whole structure and finally to the vehicle beneath it.
- A funeral vehicle. *A black hearse.*
- A candle frame (historical). *A church hearse.*
- Hearse as a modifier. *A hearse driver.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hearse | A horse-drawn hearse. |
| Plural | hearses | Two hearses. |
| Related | harrow | A field harrow. |
| Related | rehearse | Rehearse the scene. |
| Related | cortege | A funeral cortege. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The hearse led the cortege.Funeral procession.
- Rehearse comes from the same word.To rake over again.
- A harrow breaks up soil.The original object.
Rehearse and hearse
- Harrow — a spiked frame dragged over soil
- Hearse — the same shape used for candles over a coffin
- Rehearse — literally to harrow again, to go over repeatedly
- Cortege — the procession itself
- Bier — the stand on which a coffin rests
From Old French *herse*, a harrow, from Latin *hirpex*. The candle frame resembled an upturned harrow.
Are hearse and rehearse related?
Yes. Rehearse means to harrow again, in the sense of going over ground repeatedly.
Why was the word applied to a candle frame?
Because the spiked triangular frame set over a coffin resembled an upturned agricultural harrow.