Etymology and terminology deer

Etymology and terminology

“The Stag Hunt of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony” by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529
The word deer was

originally broad in meaning, becoming more specific with time. Old English dēor and Middle English der meant a wild animal of any kind.

Cognates of Old English dēor in other dead Germanic languages have the general sense of animal, such as Old High German tior, Old Norse djur or dȳr, Gothic dius, Old Saxon dier, and Old Frisian diar.[3] This general sense gave way to the modern English sense by

the end of the Middle English period, around 1500. However, all modern Germanic languages save English and Scots retain the more general sense: for example, German Tier and Norwegian dyr mean animal.[4]