Where does “fermer” come from?

fermer (French) comes from Old French fermer, from Latin firmō, from Latin Firmus, from Proto-Italic fermos, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-mo-s, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.

fermer (French): to shut; to close

Definitions

  1. to shut; to close

Ancestry of “fermer”, step by step

fermer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French fermer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfermerto close
2Latinfirmōto make firm, strengthen, harden, fortify
3LatinFirmusstrong, powerful
4Proto-Italicfermos
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-mo-sholding
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

via French enfermer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchenfermerto lock up, lock in, lock away; to imprison,...

Words derived from “fermer

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-mo-sEvery word from Proto-Italic fermos