farming
/ˈfɑːrmɪŋ/
noun
Origin
Latin
firmare — to fix, establish, or confirm
Overview
Meaning Now
- The activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock.
- The act of managing land for agricultural production.
Literal older meaning
the act of holding land under a lease for cultivation
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
fermen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word originally referred to a legal agreement (a 'ferm') where a tenant paid a fixed sum to a landlord to work a piece of land. Over time, the association with the land itself became stronger than the association with the rent payment, leading to the modern usage denoting agricultural activity.
Evolution
- Latin (classical)
firmus
“stable, steadfast”
- Medieval Latin
firma
“fixed payment, tribute”
Refers to a contract where land was leased for a fixed sum.
- Old French
ferme
“lease, fixed rent”
- Middle English
ferming
“the management of land held under lease”
- Modern English
farming
“agricultural production”
Shifted from the legal act of leasing to the physical act of cultivating.
Connections
Word parts
farm
root
cultivated land/lease
-ing
suffix
indicates action or process
Related across languages
French
ferme
farm
Italian
fermo
fixed, still
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.