Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “firm” come from?

Firm comes from Italian firma, from Latin firmare meaning to make firm, derived from Latin firmus meaning steady or strong, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-.

firm (English): A business partnership; the name under which it...

Definitions

  1. A business partnership; the name under which it...

Ancestry of “firm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishferme—
2Old Frenchfermelease; the land leased; farm
3Medieval LatinfermaAlternative form of firma
4LatinFirma—
5LatinFirmus—
6Proto-Italicfermos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-mo-sholding
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “firm”

  • firmly
  • firmness
  • firmer
  • firmware
  • interfirm
  • firmwide
  • unfirm
  • semifirm
  • megafirm
  • firmish
  • superfirm
  • firmless
  • unfirmness
  • firme
  • Firmware
  • firma
  • firman
  • grynderifirma
  • firmver
  • фирмвер
  • фирмвер
  • plufermigar
  • ferma
  • fermigar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →