Etymologically
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fermer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fɛʁ.me/[1]

Forms

fermer[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin firmō (“to make firm, strengthen; to confirm”), derived from firmus (“firm, strong”).[2][3][4][5][1] The shift to “to close” may have begun in Late Latin, where “firmare” and “confirmare” were often said of strengthening the bars and bolts of doors.[2][3] “Fermer” gradually replaced the old verb clore.[4][6]

Compare Italian fermare (“to stop”), Old Occitan fermar (“to fix, confirm”) and Portuguese firmar.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Chanson de Roland (about 1100), meaning “to fix, fasten”.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it meant “to build (a castle)” (1155) and “to fortify” (about 1160), a sense usual until the 16th century.[2][4] From this came the idea of barring and closing, des portes fermer (about 1175), then “to cut off access” and “to shut down a business”, fermer sa boutique (1547), and abstractly “to end” (1580).[2][3] The intransitive use is from the 15th century, la ferme ! “shut up!” from 1901, and fermer “to switch off” a tap or an appliance from 1872.[2][9]

In several regions it still means “to shut in”, as in fermé dehors “locked out”.[3] From the sense “to fix, settle” came the legal noun ferme “lease”, whence the farm.[4][10]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – “To fasten”, in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1155 – “To build (a castle)”, in Wace.[2]
  • 12th century – Enfermer.[4]
  • c. 1175 – “To close (doors)”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[2]
  • 13th century – Ferme “lease, farm”.[4]
  • 1547 – Fermer sa boutique.[2]
  • 1872 – “To turn off (a tap)”.[9]
  • 1901 – La ferme !.[9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To close, shut: fermer la porte, fermer les yeux.[10][1]
  2. To lock: fermer à clé.[1]
  3. To do up (a garment); to seal (a letter).[1]
  4. To shut down, close (a shop, a business): fermer boutique.[2][1]
  5. To block, bar: fermer la route.[9]
  6. To switch off: fermer le robinet, fermer la radio.[1][9]
  7. Fermer la marche: to bring up the rear.[1]
  8. (intransitive) To close: le magasin ferme à 19 heures.[2]
  9. (slang) La fermer: to shut up.[9][1]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 569b
  6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert