Firefighter
Did you know that the word firefighter has its origins in words meaning to comb or pluck or pull hair?
Fire
The word fire has its origins in two Proto-Indo-European (PIE) words for fire. First, PIE paewr referred to fire as an inanimate substance. Second, PIE egni referred to fire as an animate living force (egni is the source of Latin ignis and words such as ignite, ignition, igneous, and so on).
The English word fire comes from PIE paewr (the root of pyro; as in, pyrotechnics or pyromaniac) which is the source of Proto-Germanic fur, the origin of words such as Old Saxon fiur, Old Norse furr, Dutch vurr, German Feuer, and Old English fyr.
Fighter
The word fight comes from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root pek (to comb, to pluck out wool or hair). PIE pek is the source of Proto-Germanic feuhta from which come words such as Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Dutch vechten, Old Frisian fiutha, all meaning to fight. From these sources comes Old English feohtan (to combat, contend with weapons, strive, attack, gain by fighting) and feohtere (fighter).
Firefighter
The word firefighter is from 1895.
A fireman (someone who tends a fire) is from the late 14th century. A fireman, as the furnace tender of a steam engine, is from the 1650s. Fireman as a person hired to put out fires (rather than tend them) is from 1714.
Fire-bell is from the 1620s. Fire company (men who manage a fire engine) is American English from 1744. Fire-escape is from 1788. Fire department, a branch of local government, is from 1805. The theory of a fire-alarm as a self-acting, mechanical device is from 1808; practical versions of fire-alarms appeared in the early 1830s. Fire extinguisher is from 1826. Fire station 1828. Fire brigade 1838. Firewall 1851. Fire hall 1867. Fire chief 1877.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
Fire
The word fire has its origins in two Proto-Indo-European (PIE) words for fire. First, PIE paewr referred to fire as an inanimate substance. Second, PIE egni referred to fire as an animate living force (egni is the source of Latin ignis and words such as ignite, ignition, igneous, and so on).
The English word fire comes from PIE paewr (the root of pyro; as in, pyrotechnics or pyromaniac) which is the source of Proto-Germanic fur, the origin of words such as Old Saxon fiur, Old Norse furr, Dutch vurr, German Feuer, and Old English fyr.
Fighter
The word fight comes from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root pek (to comb, to pluck out wool or hair). PIE pek is the source of Proto-Germanic feuhta from which come words such as Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Dutch vechten, Old Frisian fiutha, all meaning to fight. From these sources comes Old English feohtan (to combat, contend with weapons, strive, attack, gain by fighting) and feohtere (fighter).
Firefighter
The word firefighter is from 1895.
A fireman (someone who tends a fire) is from the late 14th century. A fireman, as the furnace tender of a steam engine, is from the 1650s. Fireman as a person hired to put out fires (rather than tend them) is from 1714.
Fire-bell is from the 1620s. Fire company (men who manage a fire engine) is American English from 1744. Fire-escape is from 1788. Fire department, a branch of local government, is from 1805. The theory of a fire-alarm as a self-acting, mechanical device is from 1808; practical versions of fire-alarms appeared in the early 1830s. Fire extinguisher is from 1826. Fire station 1828. Fire brigade 1838. Firewall 1851. Fire hall 1867. Fire chief 1877.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
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