fire

Where does the word "fire" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic fōr, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Fire’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: fōr meant “fire.” Cognate with Greek 'pyr', as in 'pyre' and 'pyrotechnics'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as fȳr. Written 'fyr'; the spelling 'fire' appears in the 1200s. It reached English by 1500s as fire. The command 'fire!' for guns dates from the 1500s. Today, fire means combustion producing heat, light and flame.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient fōr "fire", cognate with Greek 'pyr', as in 'pyre' and 'pyrotechnics'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s fȳr "fire", written 'fyr'; the spelling 'fire' appears in the 1200s.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s fire "fire", the command 'fire!' for guns dates from the 1500s.