farm

farm · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dʰer-mo-s“holding”
2. Proto-Italic · derived from*fermos
3. Latin · derived fromfirmus“solid, secure”
4. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*perkʷ-“life, force, strength, tree”
5. Proto-Germanic · derived from*ferhwō“life force, body, being”
6. Proto-Germanic · derived from*fermō
7. Old English · derived fromfeorm“rent, provision, supplies, feast”
8. Medieval Latin · derived fromferma
9. Anglo-Norman · derived fromferme“rent, lease, farm”
10. Middle English · inherited fromferme
11. English todayfarm

Inherited from Middle English ferme, farme (“rent, revenue, produce, factor, stewardship, meal, feast”), influenced by Anglo-Norman ferme (“rent, lease, farm”), from Medieval Latin ferma, firma. There is debate as to whether Medieval Latin acquired 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”), Icelandic fjör (“life, vitality, vigour, animation”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus, “the world”). Compare also Old English feormehām (“farm”), feormere (“purveyor, supplier, grocer”). Cognate with Scots ferm (“rent, farm”).

farm · verb²

1. Anglo-Norman · derived fromfermer“to let out for a fixed payment, lease, rent”
2. Middle English · inherited fromfermen
3. English todayfarm

From Middle English fermen, from Anglo-Norman fermer (“to let out for a fixed payment, lease, rent”) ultimately from the same Old English source as Etymology 1. Compare Old English feormian (“to feed, supply with food, sustain”).

farm · verb³

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*furbēn“to clean, polish, buff”
2. Old English · inherited fromfeormian“to clean, cleanse”
3. Middle English · inherited fromfermen
4. English todayfarm

From Middle English fermen, from Old English feormian (“to clean, cleanse”), from Proto-West Germanic *furbēn (“to clean, polish, buff”). Doublet of furbish.

Words from the same roots