Etymology Map
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Fire

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means combustion producing heat, light and flame

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

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

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.