ferme French · revision 16539

+ French has two main words spelled ''ferme'': the adjective “firm”, from Latin ''firmus'', and the noun “farm”, formed in French from the same family; a third ''ferme'', a roof truss, comes from ''fermer'' “to fix”.^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ {{homograph|1|firm}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1140, Geffrei Gaimar (ferme)|origins=la firmus}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɛʁm/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''ferme''' (plural fermes)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Old French masculine ''ferm'' disappeared before the 14th century, replaced by the feminine form ''ferme''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[inh|la|firmus|t=solid, firm; steadfast, reliable]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 576a) Rey calls “firmus” of obscure origin, Wiktionary and Littré relate it to an Indo-European root “*dʰer-” “to hold”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) “Ferme”, at first only the feminine, took the place of the masculine “ferm” in the 13th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi)

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+ Compare [[it|fermo]], [[pro|ferm]], [[es|firme]] and [[pt|firme]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Geffrei Gaimar's ''Estoire des Engleis'' (about 1140) uses the feminine ''ferme'' for “solid”; the adverb ''ferm'' “solidly” is in Marie de France (about 1180).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figuratively it meant “sure, steadfast” in the ''Roman d'Eneas'' (about 1160).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The Châtelain de Coucy has ''Tant ai en li ferm assis mon corage''.^(Littré 1873) ''Terre ferme'', the mainland, is old, and for Venice it named its mainland territory.^(Littré 1873)^(GLLF 1989) The adverb is used for “firmly” and, in the 20th century, “hard, a lot”: ''travailler ferme'', ''discuter ferme''.^(DHLF 1992) In commerce a ''vente ferme'' is final, and at the Stock Exchange ''des fermes'' were firm deals (Balzac).^(GLLF 1989)^(BHVF) As an interjection, ''ferme !'' urges courage.^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1130 – ''Fermement''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1140 – ''Ferme'' “solid”, Gaimar.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1160 – “Sure”, ''Roman d'Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – Adverb ''ferm'', Marie de France.^(TLFi)

+ * 13th century – ''Ferme'' as masculine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1372 – ''Affermir''.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|firm]], solid, not soft: ''une chair ferme'', ''la terre ferme'', dry land, the mainland.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+ # Steady, not shaking: ''d'une main ferme'', ''attendre de pied ferme''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Resolute, unwavering: ''un ton ferme'', ''être ferme avec un enfant''.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Definite, final: ''une offre ferme'', ''vente ferme'', ''(law)'' ''prison ferme'', not suspended.^(GLLF 1989)^(Larousse)

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+ ===Adverb===

+ # Firmly, ''(familiar)'' hard, a lot: ''tenir ferme'', ''travailler ferme''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fermement]]

+ * [[affermir]]

+ * [[raffermir]]

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+ {{homograph|2|farm}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1160–75 (rente à ferme)|origins=la firmus}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɛʁm/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''ferme''' ''f'' (plural fermes)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The farm is a deverbal noun [[der|fro|fermer|t=to make firm, fix, settle]], formed in Old French in the legal sense of the verb.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Grand Robert takes it instead from the adjective [[ferme#1]]: a “rente à ferme” was an agreement for a fixed payment.^(Grand Robert 2005) Medieval Latin “firma” “lease, farm” is found in England from 1100, Wiktionary takes the word from it, mentioning a debated link with [[ang|feorm|t=provisions, rent]], while Littré derived “firma” from [[la|firmus]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1160–75 ''rente à ferme'' is a legal agreement by which land is let for a fixed rent.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By metonymy it named the rural estate so let (1539), and then any farm and its buildings.^(DHLF 1992) Under the Ancien Régime it also meant an agreement to collect a right or tax (1481), as in the ''Ferme générale'' set up by Colbert, whose ''fermiers généraux'' (1690) collected indirect taxes.^(DHLF 1992) Apart from law and farming, the usual sense today is the farmhouse with its buildings.^(DHLF 1992) ''Fermier'' “tenant of a right” (1207) and “farmer” (1282) followed the same path, and ''fermette'' (1941) names a small farm made into a country house.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1160–75 – ''Rente à ferme''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * c. 1170 – ''Affermer''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1207 – ''Fermier'', tenant of a right.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1367 – ''Fermage''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1481 – The farming of a tax.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1539 – A rural estate.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1941 – ''Fermette''.^(DHLF 1992)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|farm]]; a farmhouse and its buildings: ''une ferme normande'', ''la cour de la ferme''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(law)'' A lease of farmland for a fixed rent, ''donner à ferme''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(historical)'' The farming of taxes: ''la Ferme générale''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # By extension, an installation of many units: ''ferme éolienne'', a wind farm.^(Larousse)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fermier]]

+ * [[fermage]]

+ * [[fermette]]

+ * [[affermer]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fermer]]

+ * [[fermeté]]

+ * [[firme]]

+ * [[la|firmus]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ A third ''ferme'', a roof truss, is recorded in 1690 and comes from ''fermer'' in the old sense “to fix”; in the theatre it also names a piece of scenery mounted on a frame (1752).^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}