Etymograph

English

firn

Firn comes from German Firn ‘névé, firn’, from Alemannic German firn ‘last year’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘forth, forward, across, through’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘forth, forward, across, through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*firnijazreconstructed
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050firni‘old’
  4. Alemannic Germanmodernfirn‘last year’
  5. Germanc. 1650–presentFirn‘névé, firn’
  6. Englishtodayfirn

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘forth, forward, across, through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*firnijazreconstructed
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050firni‘old’
  4. Alemannic Germanmodernfirn‘last year’
  5. Germanc. 1650–presentFirn‘névé, firn’
  6. Englishtodayfirn

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘forth, forward, across, through’

before, support, far, per, first, report, further, price, private, press, practice, fear, opportunity, pre, primary, prior, prime, appreciate, port, prize, afford, pregnant, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, ferry, fare, porch, pardon, primitive, prix, pirate, interpreter, pragmatic, 158 more

Today it means

noun A type of old snow which has gone through multiple thaw and refreeze cycles and thus is made of numerous small icy grains, though it is not nearly as saturated with water as snowcone slush is; can be hard or somewhat soft depending on recent and current weather conditions.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / firn

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