Etymologically
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fiery

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈfaɪəɹi/, /ˈfaɪɹi/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English firi, also spelled fuyri, furi, vuiri and feri,[2][3][4] formed from Middle English fir (“fire”) + -y.[4][5][6][7] The spelling with “ie” reflects the different ways of writing the vowel of Old English fȳr (“fire”) in Middle English.[3][4] The OED compares Old Frisian fiūrich, Middle Dutch vurich, Middle Low German vurich and Middle High German viuric, the source of feurig.[6] Old English had adjectives such as fȳren (“of fire, fiery”) and fȳrhāt (“hot as fire”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Consisting of or attended by fire, in religious contexts: before 1300, in the Passion our Lord;[6] Etymonline dates "flaming, full of fire" to the late 13th century.[3] Barnhart's first form is fuyri, about 1300.[4]

Semantic evolution

From about 1300 the word also meant red-hot, causing a burning sensation, and of arrows or darts, fire-bearing.[6] The sense "brightly glowing, of the colour of fire" is recorded from before 1387 in Trevisa,[6] or about 1400 in Etymonline.[3] Applied to feelings it meant "vehement, ardent" from about 1325, and to people "passionate, spirited" from about 1430, in Chaucer's Legend of Good Women;[6] Chaucer used the word 11 times and Gower 20.[8] The sense "hot-tempered, irascible" followed before 1540.[6] Medical use for inflamed skin dates from 1600, and in coal mining fiery has described gas liable to ignite, and a mine containing it, since 1657.[6] In Scottish dialect a fiery bron was a blazing peat used as a signal, and in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire hay was called fiery when it held many fire-leaves.[9]

Timeline

  • before 1300 – consisting of or attended by fire.[6]
  • c. 1300 – red-hot; burning; of arrows, fire-bearing.[6][4]
  • c. 1325 – of feelings, ardent, vehement.[6]
  • before 1387 – glowing, of the colour of fire.[6]
  • c. 1430 – of people, passionate, spirited.[6]
  • before 1540 – hot-tempered.[6]
  • 1600 – of the skin, inflamed.[6]
  • 1657 – of gas or a mine, liable to explode.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Consisting of fire, or burning and flaming.[10][5][6]
  2. Like fire in heat or colour; glowing red: a fiery sunset over the bay.[10][5][6]
  3. Full of strong feeling; passionate or spirited: a fiery sermon.[10][5][6]
  4. Easily angered; irascible.[10][6]
  5. Of food or drink, causing a burning feeling in the mouth.[10][6]
  6. Of the skin or a sore, inflamed.[10][6]
  7. Of gas or a mine, liable to catch fire or explode.[10][6]

Word family

  • fierily
  • fieriness
  • unfiery
  • fiery cross

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Benson, Larry D., Glossarial Concordance to Middle English (Chaucer, Gower), Johns Hopkins University, github.com/jhu-digital-manuscripts/gcme
  9. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins