Etymology: Apparently cognate with (showing different ablaut: zero-grade) Old Saxon formon to give assistance, Old High German formōn to foster or support (in an isolated attestation in a glossary), further etymology uncertain and disputed, perhaps ultimately < an ablaut variant of the Germanic base of Old English fearm freight, cargo (see pram n.¹ and compare the Germanic forms cited at that entry). The semantic development may perhaps have been from ‘something to be carried on a journey’ to ‘supply of food for a journey’, subsequently generalized. The rare Old Icelandic noun ferma (in an isolated attestation in skaldic verse, apparently in sense ‘food (of the raven)’) probably represents a borrowing < English. Compare the Old English derivative verb feormian to foster or maintain, to entertain (a guest), to harbour (a fugitive), to supply with food, to pay a food rent. Compare also the second element of flemensfirth n.Alternative etymology. An alternative suggestion is that Old English feormian (and its continental Germanic parallels) may represent an early borrowing into West Germanic < classical Latin firmāre firm v.; however, this seems unlikely on both semantic and formal grounds (and would also entail interpretation of Old English feorm as a deverbal derivative < feormian ). It was formerly suggested that the development may have been via post-classical Latin firma (noun) in an apparently unattested sense ‘fixed portion of provisions, ration’ (for a similar semantic development compare farm n.²); compare the following attested senses of post-classical Latin firma provision, food rent (frequently from 11th cent. in British sources), banquet (12th cent. in British sources); however, these senses are attested only in British sources and are apparently after the English word. It has also sometimes been suggested that Old High German formōn is a borrowing from Old English feormian , but the attestation of an Old Saxon parallel (also in prefixed form giformon ) makes this unlikely. Form history. In Old English usually a strong feminine (feorm ). Some of the Old English forms of the word are difficult to explain, especially the stem vowel of Northumbrian farm- (see γ. forms), which may perhaps reflect an ablaut variant of the Germanic base. With the β. forms compare Old English fyrmþ action of harbouring (compare -th suffix¹); compare flemensfirth n. Notes on senses. In use with reference to a food rent in Old English sometimes with a modifying word denoting a span of time, typically a day (or night), as in quot. lOE; compare post-classical Latin firma unius noctis (1086 in Domesday Book). This refers to the quantity of provisions required for the upkeep of a household for the specified length of time. Such food rents were paid annually to the king for the royal household, but also to secular dignitaries and monastic institutions (in quot. lOE to the monastery of Peterborough and its abbot). Compare discussion of customary payments at monastic institutions at farm n.² and also at farmland n.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman farme, feerme, ferm, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French ferme (French ferme ) agreement on a fixed payment for the let of a property, lease of the use of a piece of land (c1175 in phrase a ferme ; with the sense compare fee-farm n.), royal rent, tax (1267 or earlier), rent, payment (13th cent. or earlier), land or property held in lease (13th cent.), lease of the privilege of collecting the revenue of a tax or duty (second half of 14th cent.), group of buildings used for agricultural purposes (1539) < Anglo-Norman and Old French fermer to attach, to fix (a thing) to (c1100), to establish (something) on a firm basis, to fix (something), to agree by treaty (12th cent; Middle French fermer , French fermer now chiefly in the senses ‘to close’, ‘to stop’, etc.) < classical Latin firmāre firm v. Compare Old Occitan ferma in use with reference to leasing of land. Compare post-classical Latin firma (also ferma ) fixed payment, rent (frequently from 11th cent. in British sources), lease (11th cent.), estate, land farmed (from 13th cent. in British sources). The early currency of these senses in post-classical Latin in British sources probably reflects earlier currency of the corresponding senses in Anglo-Norman and Old French. But compare use of post-classical Latin firma in British sources in senses corresponding to farm n.¹ (see discussion at that entry); compare also discussion below on the probable semantic influence of farm n.¹Compare also use of Anglo-Norman and Old French fermer with reference to leases and rents, and comparable use of post-classical Latin firmare in British sources, discussed at farm v.² Probable influence of farm n.¹ on early use. In certain contexts, especially with reference to traditional obligations of tenants on ecclesiastical estates, the reflexes of farm n.¹ and farm n.² can be difficult to distinguish (compare discussion of quot. c1325 at sense 1, and also early uses of farmland n.). With the apparent sense development of ‘food rent’ to ‘fixed yearly payment by a tenant’, by which some uses of farm n.¹ probably merged with farm n.² (compare sense 1), compare Old English feormfultum contribution towards the obtaining of provisions (in the context of food rent, paid in kind or in money) (Middle English fermfoltum customary rent paid (in money) by the tenants of an ecclesiastical estate; < farm n.¹ + fultum n.); for examples compare:eOE (Kentish) Will of Ealdorman Ælfred (Sawyer 1508) in N. P. Brooks & S. E. Kelly Charters of Christ Church Canterbury, Pt. 2 (2013) 810 Swe hwylc mon swa ðęt sio þęt ðes londes bruce ofer minne dęg on Cloppaham, þanne geselle he cc peninga ęghwylce gere to Ceortesege for Ęlfredes sawle to feormfultume.OE Possessions, Rents, & Grants, Bury St. Edmunds in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 192 Leofstan abbot doð to þis fermfultum, an sceppe malt & iii hund hlafe & vi fliccen & oþer vi to fyllincge into þan ealdan fyrme.1301–3 in N. Neilson Customary Rents (1910) 17 De quadam certa consuetudine que vocatur fermfoltum. Modern English confusion with farm n.¹ appears to be implied by the archaizing spelling feorm in senses of branch I. Possible evidence for earlier currency. Middle English fermpenes (in Latin context), denoting a manorial rent, perhaps shows an otherwise unattested compound < farm n.² + the plural of penny n., but alternatively could reflect a transmission error (perhaps compare sharn-penny n.):1324–7 in N. Neilson Customary Rents (1910) 54 Et de vs. xid. ob. de consuetudinibus vocatis turfdole fermpenes et melderfe. Early attestation in names. Earlier currency with reference to pieces of land (see sense 4a) is perhaps implied by la Verme , Wiltshire (1276), the name of an area under lease in Savernake Forest, although it could alternatively be interpreted as showing the Anglo-Norman word. Perhaps compare also la Ferme (1235), Northamptonshire, also the name of a forested area, although this place name is more usually attested as a compound (Ferminwod (1229); earlier as boscus de Ferma (c1220), now Farming Woods). The compound could alternatively be interpreted as showing a reflex of farm n.¹ or a related word. More certain evidence is shown by field names such as Welleferme (1323), le Wylughferme (1384), both attested for the wapentake of Agbrigg, West Riding, Yorkshire. Specific forms. In the late Middle English form fyrme probably after post-classical Latin firma (see above and compare firm n.¹). Specific senses. Use with reference to prison infirmaries (see sense 8) apparently reflects association with fermery n. (compare β. forms at fermery n.).

Etymology: Cognate with Old High German -fermī (in āfermī dirt (a feminine īn -stem noun; for the prefix see e- prefix¹)); further etymology uncertain and disputed.With prefixed Old High German āfermī compare from the same Germanic base (with different suffix: see -th suffix¹) Old English ǣfyrmþa (plural) waste, sweepings, offscourings, and (with different prefix: see or- prefix) Old English orfiermu dirt (like other feminine abstract īn -stems, early attracted to the ō -stems), and also orfierme (adjective) unclean, orfeormnes (derived noun) dirt; compare also Old English afeormian , verb (see below). It has sometimes been suggested that the English word is ultimately of the same origin as farm n.¹ (itself ultimately of uncertain and disputed origin), but this poses semantic problems. In Old English the prefixed form gefeormian to clean, purify (compare y- prefix) is also attested; compare also afeormian (early Middle English aferme ) to clean, purify (compare a- prefix¹).

Etymology: Partly < Anglo-Norman fermer to rent (land) (1322 or earlier; earlier in Old French in the sense ‘to lease to another for a fixed payment’ (13th cent. or earlier); apparently < ferme farm n.²), and partly < farm n.² Use of fermer with reference to leases and rents in Anglo-Norman and Old French could alternatively be interpreted as showing a semantic development of fermer to fix (see farm n.²) under the influence of the derived noun ferme . Compare earlier farmer n.²Compare prefixed Old French affermer (1260; apparently more common than the unprefixed form), Old Occitan afermar , both in the sense ‘to lease or rent land’. Compare post-classical Latin firmare to pay a fixed rent, to pay rent to (a person) (both late 11th cent. in British sources), to rent (land) (1380 in a Scottish source). Early use of the post-classical Latin verb with reference to payment of rents could partly imply earlier currency of the relevant senses in Anglo-Norman, and partly be due to influence of Old English feorm farm n.¹ and feormian to pay a food rent (see farm n.¹); compare discussion at farm n.²