English
firmware
Firmware comes from Proto-Germanic *warō ‘a good, merchandise, ware’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warō‘a good, merchandise, ware’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*warureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150waru
- English1500–presentsoftware
- Englishtodayfirmware
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warō‘a good, merchandise, ware’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*warureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150waru
- English1500–presentsoftware
- Englishtodayfirmware
A compound of firm + -ware
Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to support’
…
Latin firmus ‘strong’
Latin firmo
Italian firmare ‘to sign’
Italian firma ‘signature’
English firm
The story
Coined in an article in 1967 as an intermediary term between hardware and software.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wer- ‘to heed, watch, guard, protect’
wear, guard, con, garage, regard, ward, verge, optic, warn, worm, garrison, panorama, weir, beware, reverence, revere, wry, vermin, prosaic, vermilion, diorama, guaranty, milliner, vermicelli, vermiculite, vermeil, varmint, 65 more
through English software
Today it means
noun A permanent form of software that provides a low-level control of computing device hardware.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *warō / firmware