Etymology
1. O.E.
fyr, from P.Gmc.
*fuir (cf. O.Fris.
fiur, O.N.
fürr, M.Du.
vuur, Ger.
Feuer), from PIE
*perjos, from root
*paewr- (cf. Armenian
hur "fire, torch," Czech
pyr "hot ashes," Gk.
pyr, Umbrian
pir, Skt.
pu, Hittite
pahhur "fire"). Current spelling is attested as early as 1200, but did not fully displace M.E.
fier (preserved in
fiery) until c.1600. PIE apparently had two roots for fire:
*paewr- and
*egni- (cf. L.
ignis). The former was "inanimate," referring to fire as a substance, and the latter was "animate," referring to it as a living force (see water).
Fire applied in Eng. to passions, feelings, from c.1340. The v. sense of "sack, dismiss" is first recorded 1885 in Amer.Eng., probably from a play on the two meanings of
discharge: "to dismiss from a position," and "to
fire a gun," the second sense being from "set fire to gunpowder," attested from 1530. The first use of
fireman as "person hired to put out (rather than tend) fires" is 1714.
Firecracker is Amer.Eng. coinage for what is in England just
cracker, but the U.S. word distinguishes it from the word meaning "biscuit."
Firebrand "one who kindles mischief or passions" is from 1382.
Firefly is attested from 1658.
Fired up "angry" is from 1824. To
play with fire "risk disaster" is from 1887; phrase
where's the fire? "what's the hurry?" first recorded 1924.
2. From Middle English firen, fyren, furen, from Old English fȳrian (“to make a fire”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian fioria (“to light a fire”), Saterland Frisian fjuurje (“to fire”), Middle Dutch vûren, vueren, vieren (“to set fire”), Dutch vuren (“to fire, shoot”), Old High German fiuren (“to ignite, set on fire”), German feuern (“to fire”). See: Old Frisian 'fioria', Frisian, Saterlandic 'fjuurje', Dutch '
vuren', German, old spelling '
feuern'.
Verbs referencing "fire"
Tok Pisin paia, Maltese
fajjar.