Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unfirmness” come from?

unfirmness (English) comes from English unfirm, from English firm, from Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Medieval Latin ferma, from Latin Firma, from Latin Firmus, from Proto-Italic fermos — to support; to hold.

unfirmness (English): The quality of being unfirm

Definitions

  1. The quality of being unfirm

Ancestry of “unfirmness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunfirmNot firm; not strong or stable; feeble; infirm
2EnglishfirmA business partnership; the name under which it...
3Middle Englishferme—
4Old Frenchfermelease; the land leased; farm
5Medieval LatinfermaAlternative form of firma
6LatinFirma—
7LatinFirmus—
8Proto-Italicfermos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-mo-sholding
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →