fermare Italian · revision 37964

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Giacomino Pugliese|origins=la firmus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ferˈma.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fermare''' (first-person singular present férmo, first-person singular past historic fermài, past participle fermàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|firmō|alt=firmāre|t=to make firm, strengthen, confirm]], from [[m|la|firmus|t=firm, stable]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary) Sabatini–Coletti and Wiktionary treat it as the popular form beside the learned [[firmare|t=to sign]], though the GDLI calls it learned.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI) The verb is pan-Romance except in Romanian: [[dlm|fermuar]], [[fur|fermâ]], [[fr|fermer|t=to close]], [[pro|fermar]] and [[ca|fermar]], while [[es|firmar]] and [[pt|firmar]] are learned.^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI) In French it came to mean “to close”, replacing the older verb [[fr|clore]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ De Vaan derives [[m|la|firmus]] from [[itc-pro|*fermo-]] and [[ine-pro|*dʰer-mo-|t=holding]], related to [[sa|धर्मन्|tr=dhárman-|t=support, firm hold]]; the ⟨i⟩ may come from ⟨e⟩ raised after the labial.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Giacomino Pugliese, early in the 13th century, with the sense “to conclude a pact or agreement”.^(DELI 1999) The sense “to stop someone or something moving” is first recorded in Bono Giamboni (before 1292).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the verb for closing and locking (''Novellino'', late 13th century), for fixing something in the memory (Brunetto Latini, before 1294) and for making something firmer (Dante, before 1321).^(DELI 1999) In the ''Decameron'' the dogs seize a girl by the flanks and “la fermarono” (stopped her).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The reflexive ''fermarsi'' “to stop, to stay” appears in a 14th-century translation of Livy, and Machiavelli (1503) uses ''fermare'' for booking in advance.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Derivatives followed: ''ferma'', a term of military service (second half of the 14th century), ''fermata'' “stop” (before 1644), ''fermacarte'' “paperweight” (1893) and ''fermacravatta'' “tie clip” (1925).^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951) The police sense “to detain a suspect” goes with the noun ''fermo'' “detention”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Prati 1951) French borrowed the sense “to stop, stay” as the reflexive ''se fermer'' in the 16th century, now obsolete.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Giacomino Pugliese uses ''fermare'' for concluding a pact.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for stopping a movement.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for “to make firmer”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – The reflexive ''fermarsi'' appears in a Livy translation.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1503 – Machiavelli uses it for booking.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – French ''se fermer'' “to stop” is borrowed from Italian.^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1644 – ''Fermata'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1893 – ''Fermacarte'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|stop]] something or someone moving: ''Il portiere ha fermato il pallone con il petto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To stop, interrupt an activity or switch off a machine: ''Hanno fermato la produzione per due giorni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To stop someone in the street to talk to them: ''Una turista mi ha fermato per chiedere la strada.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(law)'' To [[m|en|detain]] a suspect: ''Alla frontiera hanno fermato un camionista.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To fix, fasten, make secure: ''Ferma la tenda con una molletta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To fix in the mind or on paper: ''Ha fermato quei ricordi in un diario.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|book]], reserve: ''Abbiamo fermato due stanze per agosto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(cooking)'' To part-cook meat so that it keeps.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Intransitive, of a vehicle, to stop: ''Il regionale ferma anche a Prato.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''fermarsi'': to stop, halt; to stay somewhere for a while: ''Ci siamo fermati a Bologna per la notte.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fermata]]

+ * [[ferma]]

+ * [[fermacarte]]

+ * [[fermacravatta]]

+ * [[fermatura]]

+ * [[raffermare]]

+ * [[raffermo]]

+ * [[soffermare]]

+ * [[rifermare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fermaglio]]

+ * [[fermo]]

+ * [[firmare]]

+ * [[la|firmus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ DEI gives a separate 19th-century ''fermare'' “to close”, taken from [[fr|fermer]], with the southern ''fermatura'' “door lock” from French ''fermeture''.^(DEI|1620)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}