Etymology Explorer › French

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfermerto close
2Latinfirmō—
3LatinFirmus—
4Proto-Italicfermos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-mo-sholding
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “fermer”

  • fermoir
  • ferma
  • refermer
  • ferment
  • fermata
  • malfermo
  • ĵetfermi
  • fermiĝi
  • fermtiri
  • malfermi
  • fermi
  • lapfermilo
  • fermilo
  • malfermiĝi
  • fèmen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →