firth

firth · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pértus“crossing”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*ferþu
3. Old Norse · derived fromfjǫrðr“firth, fjord”
4. Old English · inherited fromford
5. Northern Middle English · inherited fromfyrth
6. Scots · borrowed fromfirth
7. English todayfirth

Borrowed from Scots firth, furth, from Northern Middle English fyrth, from either or both of Old English ford and Old Norse fjǫrðr (“firth, fjord”), from Proto-Germanic *ferþu, *ferþuz (“inlet, fjord”), from Proto-Indo-European *pértus (“crossing”), from *per- (“to carry forth”) + *-tus (suffix forming action nouns from verb roots). The English word is a doublet of fjord, ford, port, and fjard.

firth · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pérkus“oak”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*furhiþją“forest, wooded country”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*furhiþi“forest, woodland”
4. Old English · inherited fromfyrhþe
5. Middle English · inherited fromfyrth
6. English todayfirth

From Middle English fyrth, a metathetic variant of frith (“forest”), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ (“forest, wooded country; game preserve, hunting ground”), from Proto-West Germanic *furhiþi (“forest, woodland”), Proto-Germanic *furhiþją (“forest, wooded country”), *furhiþǭ, from *furhu (“fir; pine”), from *furahō, *furhō (“fir; pine; (fir or pine) forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (“oak”), from *perkʷ- (“oak”).

Firth · proper noun³

1. Old Norse · derived fromfjǫrðr“firth”
2. Old English · derived fromfyrhþe“forest”
3. English todayFirth

* As an English and Scottish surname, from Old English fyrhþe (“forest”). * As a Scottish surname, from Firth in Orkney, itself from Old Norse fjǫrðr (“firth”). * As a Welsh surname, from ffrith, itself borrowed from the first sense.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from c. 1600 An arm or inlet of the sea; a river estuary.