Where does “farmhouse” come from?
Farmhouse comes from Middle English ferme and the suffix -en, derived from Latin firmus meaning "firm" or "strong," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots dʰer- and per-.
farmhouse (English): A farmer's residence
Ancestry of “farmhouse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | farm | A place where agricultural and similar activities... |
| 2 | Middle English | ferme | — |
| 3 | Old French | ferme | lease; the land leased; farm |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | ferma | Alternative form of firma |
| 5 | Latin | Firma | — |
| 6 | Latin | Firmus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | fermos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer-mo-s | holding |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |