Where does “fire alarm” come from?
fire alarm (English) comes from English alarm, from Middle English alarme, from Middle French alarme, from Italian all'arme, from Latin arma, from Late Latin armistitium, from Latin sistere, from Proto-Indo-European stísteh₂ti — to stand.
fire alarm (English): An electromechanical or electronic bell, klaxon,...
Definitions
- An electromechanical or electronic bell, klaxon,...
Ancestry of “fire alarm”, step by step
fire alarm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English alarm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | alarm | A summons to arms, as on the approach of an... |
| 2 | Middle English | alarme | — |
| 3 | Middle French | alarme | — |
| 4 | Italian | all'arme | a command to take up arms and be ready to fight: to arms! |
| 5 | Latin | arma | defensive arms, armor/armour, shields, weapons of... |
| 6 | Late Latin | armistitium | — |
| 7 | Latin | sistere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stísteh₂ti | to be standing up, to be getting up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |
via English fire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fire | A chemical reaction involving the bonding of... |
| 2 | Middle English | fier | Alternative form of figer |
| 3 | Old English | fȳr | fire |
| 4 | Old English | feor | Alternative form of feorr; far |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |