Where does “firefighting” come from?
Firefighting derives from English fire, from Middle English fier, from Old English fȳr, from Proto-Germanic fōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European péh₂wr̥, meaning fire or heat.
firefighting (English): Extinguishing a fire; The profession of being a...
Definitions
- Extinguishing a fire; The profession of being a...
Ancestry of “firefighting”, step by step
firefighting traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |