goatherd

From Middle English goteherd, from Old English gāthierde, equivalent to goat +‎ herd (“herder”).

a goatherd

goatherd (plural goatherds)

1. A person who herds, tends goats.
   • 2000, Daniel Easterman, Incarnation‎ (Fiction), →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 411:

     'Oh, yes. A man was brought to us about a year ago. There'd been a big storm along the southern sector of the Taklamakan. It went on for four or five days. This man was a goatherd from Tongguzbasti. He'd gone out into the desert in search of tamarisk, along with a camel for the load. At midday he had some bread and water and lay down for a sleep. When he woke there was a storm the like of which he'd never seen before. There was nothing for it but to hunker down and make the best of it; but at some point - whether it was day or night he couldn't say - he found himself on his feet, shouting and screaming at the noise, and walking for what must have been miles.'

• goatherder
• goatkeeper (rare)

• earth dog