# firm
## English
### Pronunciation

* (General American) IPA: /fɜɹm/, [fɝm]
** Audio (US):(file)
* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /fɜːm/
** Audio (UK):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

### Etymology 1

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).

#### Noun

firm (plural firms)
* (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
* (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise
** 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. […] Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the “democratisation of finance”.
* (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

##### Derived terms

* firmless
* firmographics
* firmwide
* hooligan firm
* interfirm
* investment firm
* law firm
* levered firm
* long firm
* megafirm
* multifirm
* neglected firm effect
* n-firm concentration ratio
* small firm effect
* superfirm
* The Firm
* white-shoe firm

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Etymology 2

From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.

#### Adjective

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)
* Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)
    It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
* Fixed (in opinion).
    a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent
    firm favourites
** 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph‎:With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.
* Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.
    He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.
* Durable, rigid (material state).
    firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
* Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
** 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XVIII, page 30:[…] The life that almost dies in me: That dies not, but endures with pain, ⁠And slowly forms the firmer mind, ⁠Treasuring the look it cannot find, The words that are not heard again.
* Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.
** 1988 April 23, Elizabeth Pincus, “Moving To Meet The Needs Of Women In The Age Of AIDS”, in Gay Community News, page 7:Although facilitators of the workshop for lesbians and bisexual women attempted to address the concerns of lesbians, little firm information emerged.
** 1999, Lucinda Dirven, The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos:None of the Aramaic inscriptions from the Hellenistic and Roman period that are cited in support of this hypothesis that divine messengers are identified with their sender provide any firm proof to this respect.

##### Derived terms

* firm error
* firm hand
* firm hand at the tiller
* firm hand on the tiller
* firmish
* firm line
* firm link
* firmly
* firmness
* firm power
* firm up
* firmware
* hold firm
* semifirm
* stand firm
* unfirm

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Adverb

firm (comparative more firm, superlative most firm)
* (now rare) firmly, steadily

##### Translations
### Etymology 3

From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.

#### Verb

firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)
* (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
* (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
* (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
* (intransitive) To improve after decline.
* (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
* (transitive, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.
    I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.
* (transitive, UK, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

##### Derived terms

* firming agent

##### Translations
### References

* ↑ James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Firm (fə̄ɹm), v.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 248, column 3.

### Further reading

* Firm in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

### Anagrams

* FRIM, fMRI, frim

## Chinese
### Etymology 1

From English firm.

#### Pronunciation

* Cantonese (Jyutping): foem$^1$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: foem$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /fœːm⁵⁵/

#### Adjective

firm (Hong Kong Cantonese)
* (of muscles) firm; strong; solid
** 2006 July 6, “劉綽琪豐胸要襯身形”, in 東方日報‎:
       taa$^1$ syut$^3$: “ji$^4$ gaa$^1$ 33C, size OK, daan$^6$ soeng$^2$ zoi$^3$ foem$^1$ di$^1$, bat$^1$ gwo$^3$ aa$^3$ zau$^1$ neoi$^5$ sing$^3$ m$^4$ ho$^2$ ji$^5$ hou$^2$ ci$^5$ gwai$^2$ mui$^{6-1}$ gam$^3$ daai$^6$, zeoi$^3$ gan$^2$ jiu$^3$ can$^3$ san$^1$ jing$^4$. [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 2007 July 21, “王卉霖黃彥欣最投港男眼緣”, in 文匯報‎, archived from the original on 2023-11-05:
       man$^6$ dou$^3$ ho$^4$ ji$^5$ jing$^4$ mei$^6$ sau$^1$ san$^1$, taa$^1$ biu$^2$ si$^6$: “ngo$^5$ dik$^1$ saam$^1$ wai$^4$ mut$^6$ jau$^5$ bin$^3$, daan$^6$ san$^1$ jing$^4$ foem$^1$ zo$^2$ siu$^2$ siu$^2$, tai$^2$ cung$^5$ mou$^5$ bin$^3$ m$^4$ gan$^2$ jiu$^3$, zeoi$^3$ zung$^6$ jiu$^3$ gun$^1$ gam$^2$ ou$^1$ kei$^1$. [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)
* firm; insistent
* (neologism) awesome; fantastic; amazing; terrific
** 2023 October 23, 理攻 [PolyTactic]‎, 紅磚社學生報編委會 [RBS PressCom], page 25:
       nei$^5$ soeng$^2$ jiu$^3$ zeoi$^3$ foem$^1$ zeoi$^3$ wom$^1$ ge$^3$ ho$^1$ life? gam$^2$ zau$^6$ jiu$^3$ lai$^4$ man$^4$ jan$^1$ tong$^4$ ni$^1$ go$^3$ daai$^6$ gaa$^1$ ting$^4$ laa$^3$! [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)
* (neologism, of relationship between friends) close; intimate
** 2021, 吾見爾酒仙, “從酒聚看大學交際文化——是被接納抑或被同化？”, in 2021年 迎新特刊‎, 中大學生報 [Chinese University Student Press], page 76:
       zip$^3$ naap$^6$ jing$^1$ goi$^1$ si$^6$ zip$^3$ sau$^6$ wo$^4$ gu$^2$ lai$^6$ jyu$^5$ zi$^6$ san$^1$ bat$^1$ jat$^1$ joeng$^6$ dik$^1$ dak$^6$ zat$^1$, ji$^4$ bat$^1$ si$^6$ jiu$^1$ kau$^4$ jan$^4$ jan$^4$ sing$^4$ wai$^4$ dou$^2$ mou$^{4-2}$ bun$^1$ dik$^1$, “gau$^3$ foem$^1$ gau$^3$ coe$^2$” dik$^1$ daai$^6$ hok$^6$ saang$^1$. [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)

##### Derived terms

* 零firm

#### Noun

firm
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) firm; business (Classifier: 間／间 c)

### Etymology 2

Clipping of English confirm.

#### Pronunciation

* Cantonese (Jyutping): foem$^1$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: foem$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /fœːm⁵⁵/

#### Verb

firm
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) to confirm; to finalize
** 2012, 邵家臻, 黃鈺螢, 感情用事：關於好戲量十年‎, →ISBN, page 267:
       taa$^1$ zip$^3$ zoek$^6$ dou$^6$: “jaa$^5$ jau$^5$ dik$^1$, taa$^1$ mun$^4$ seoi$^1$ jiu$^3$ si$^4$ gaan$^3$ process, daan$^6$ ngo$^5$ mun$^4$ naa$^5$ bin$^1$ dik$^1$ sai$^3$ zit$^3$ soeng$^4$ soeng$^4$ dou$^1$ mei$^6$ foem$^1$, ngo$^5$ ming$^4$ baak$^6$ taa$^1$ mun$^4$ dik$^1$ naan$^4$ cyu$^3$, daan$^6$ ze$^2$ jaa$^5$ si$^6$ mut$^6$ jau$^5$ baan$^6$ faat$^3$ dik$^1$ si$^6$.” [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 2016, 于日辰, 倫敦金2‎, →ISBN, page 212:
       ngo$^5$ zau$^6$ tung$^4$ keoi$^5$ dei$^6$ gong$^2$ zo$^2$ nei$^5$ hai$^6$ keoi$^5$ dei$^6$ zik$^6$ suk$^6$ soeng$^6$ si$^1$, fei$^1$ mat$^6$ si$^4$ dou$^1$ cim$^1$ zo$^2$ zi$^2$ foem$^1$ zo$^2$ gaa$^3$ laa$^3$! [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Adjective

firm
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) sure; certain

##### Derived terms

* 零firm

### References

* English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

## German
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin firmus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɪʁm/
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

firm (strong nominative masculine singular firmer, comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)
* (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed
    Synonyms: erfahren, bewandert
** 1976 March 12, Heidi Dürr, “Kunstkenner per Post?”, in Die Zeit‎:Er, der—laut Prospekt—wie alle Mitarbeiter “eine hohe fachliche Qualifikation” aufweist und die Gewähr dafür bietet, “daß Sie Ihr Studienziel erreichen, ein Kenner antiker Gegenstände zu werden”, ist nach eigener Aussage lediglich Fachmann für Malerei und Graphik. Auf anderen Gebieten sei er gar “nicht so firm”.(please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Related terms

* firmen

### Further reading

* “firm” in Duden online
* “firm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈfirm/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -irm
* Syllabification: firm

### Noun

firm f
* genitive plural of firma

## Zoogocho Zapotec
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish firma.

#### Noun

firm
* signature

##### Derived terms

* chgoꞌo firm
* choꞌo firm

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish firme.

#### Adjective

firm
* firm, fixed

### References

* Long C., Rebecca, Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)‎ (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 220