ferme

See also: fermé, fèrme, and fermë

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛʁm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle French ferme, from Old French ferm, ferme (“solid”), from Latin firmus (“solid, secure”), from Proto-Italic *fermos, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer-mo-s (“holding”), from the root *dʰer- (“to hold”).

Adjective

ferme (plural fermes)

1. firm

   Synonyms: dur, décidé

Derived terms

• de pied ferme
• terre ferme

Noun

ferme f (plural fermes)

1. (carpentry) roof truss

Verb

ferme

1. inflection of fermer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle French ferme (“farm, farm buildings”), from Old French ferme (“lease for working, rent, farm”), from Medieval Latin ferma, firma (“rent, tax, tribute, farm”). There is debate as to whether Medieval Latin acquires this term from Old English feorm (“rent, provision, supplies, feast”), from Proto-Germanic *fermō, *firhuma- (“means of living, subsistence”), from Proto-Germanic *ferhwō (“life force, body, being”), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“life, force, strength, tree”), or from Latin firmus (“solid, secure”), from Proto-Italic *fermos, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer-mo-s (“holding”), from the root *dʰer- (“to hold”). If the former etymology is correct, the term is related to Old English feorh (“life, spirit”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus, “the world”). Compare also Old English feormehām (“farm”), feormere (“purveyor”).

Noun

ferme f (plural fermes)

1. farm

Derived terms

• fermage
• ferme piscicole
• fermette
• fermier

 

Descendants

• → Romanian: fermă

Further reading

• “ferme”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfer.me/
• Rhymes: -erme
• Hyphenation: fér‧me

Adjective

ferme f pl

1. feminine plural of fermo

Noun

ferme f pl

1. plural of ferma

Anagrams

• Efrem, freme, fremé

Latin

Etymology

From *ferimē, earlier superlative of ferē, from Proto-Italic *feramos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold”). Cognates include firmus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfer.meː/, [ˈfɛrmeː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfer.me/, [ˈfɛrme]

Adverb

fermē (not comparable)

1. Closely, quite, entirely, fully, altogether, just.

   Synonyms: prope, paene, ferē, iū̆xtā

2. In general, generally, usually, commonly, for most of the time.

References

• “ferme”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ferme”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ferme in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Medieval Latin ferma, Old French ferme, and their etymon Old English feorm, from Proto-West Germanic *fermu, from Proto-Germanic *fermō.

Alternative forms

• farme, ferm, fyrme (Late Middle English)
• feorme, veorme (Early Middle English)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛrm(ə)/, /ˈfarm(ə)/

Noun

ferme (plural fermes)

1. A lease; the renting of land.
2. Leased or rented land.
3. A set yearly rent payment.
4. A set yearly payment for a privilege.
5. (by extension) A tax mandated by the realm.
6. (chiefly Early Middle English) A feast or meal.

Related terms

• fermen
• fermour

Descendants

• English: farm
  • → Dutch: farm
  • → Finnish: farmi
  • → German: Farm
  • → Portuguese: farme, farma
  • → Yiddish: פֿאַרם (farm)
  • → Spanish: farmear
  • → Thai: ฟาร์ม (faam)
• Scots: ferm
• → Welsh: fferm

References

• “ferme, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “ferme, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old French ferm, ferme, from Latin firmus, from Proto-Italic *fermos.

Alternative forms

• ferm

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛrm(ə)/

Adjective

ferme (plural and weak singular ferme)

1. firm, steady (of objects)
2. steady, enduring (of people, agreements, etc.)

Related terms

• fermely
• fermen

Descendants

• English: firm (remodelled after Latin)
  • → Cantonese: firm
• Scots: firm (remodelled after Latin)

References

• “ferm, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Adverb

ferme

1. firmly, steadily

Descendants

• English: firm (remodelled after Latin)
• Scots: firm (remodelled after Latin)

References

• “ferm(e, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Verb

ferme

1. Alternative form of fermen (“to clean”)

Etymology 4

Verb

ferme

1. Alternative form of fermen (“to lease”)

Etymology 5

Verb

ferme

1. Alternative form of fermen (“to firm”)

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French ferm, ferme (“solid”), from Latin firmus (“solid, secure”).

Adjective

ferme m or f (plural fermes)

1. firm

Descendants

• French: ferme

Old French

Etymology

From Medieval Latin ferma, firma (“rent, tax, tribute, farm”), from Old English feorm (“rent, provision, supplies, feast”), from Proto-Germanic *firmō, *fermō (“means of living, subsistence”), from *firhu- (“life force, body, being”), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“life, force, strength, tree”).

Noun

ferme oblique singular, f (oblique plural fermes, nominative singular ferme, nominative plural fermes)

1. lease (letting agreement)
2. the land leased
3. farm

Descendants

• Middle French: ferme
  • French: ferme
    • → Romanian: fermă
• → Middle English: ferme, farme, ferm, fyrme (Late Middle English), feorme, veorme (Early Middle English) (in part)
  • English: farm
    • → Dutch: farm
    • → Finnish: farmi
    • → German: Farm
    • → Portuguese: farme, farma
    • → Yiddish: פֿאַרם (farm)
    • → Spanish: farmear
    • → Thai: ฟาร์ม (faam)
  • Scots: ferm
  • → Welsh: fferm

Adjective

ferme f

1. oblique and nominative singular feminine of ferm

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈferme]

Noun

ferme f

1. inflection of fermă:
   1. indefinite plural
   2. indefinite genitive/dative singular