fier

See also: Fier, fiêr, and -fier

English

Pronunciation

See fire.

Noun

fier (plural fiers)

1. Archaic form of fire.
   • 1849, William Strachey, Richard Henry Major, The History of Travaile Into Virginia Britannia, page 92:

     They have also divers conjurations: one they made at what tyme they had taken Captain Smyth prisoner, to know, as they reported, if any more of his countrymen would arrive there, and what they intended; the manner of yt Captain Smyth observed to be as followeth : first, soe some as daie was shut in, they kindled a faire great fier in a lone howse, about which assembled seven priests, takinge Captain Smyth by the hand, and appointing him his seat; about the fier they made a kynd of enchanted circle of meale; that done, the chifest priest, attyred as is expressed, gravely began to sing and shake his rattle, solemly rownding and marching about the fier, the rest followed him silently untill his song was done, which they all shutt up with a groane.

   • 2000, Colin G. Calloway, Dawnland Encounters: Indians and Europeans in Northern New England, →ISBN:

     The salvadges perceiving so much, subtilely devised how they might put out the fier in the shallop, by which meanes they sawe they should be free from the danger of our men's pieces.

   • 2012, Rebecca Anne Goetz, The Baptism of Early Virginia: How Christianity Created Race, →ISBN, page 45:

     The men, “beinge att praiers,” heard odd noises and thought “they sawe one like an Indian leape over the fier.”

See also

• sci-fier (etymologically unrelated)

References

• The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition (1989). Oxford University Press. Vol. V. pp. 242-243.

Anagrams

• FIRE, Frie, fire, refi, reif, rief, rife

Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *pʰera, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)perHom < *(s)perH- (“to fly”). Compare Proto-Slavic *pero (“feather”), English fern, Lithuanian spar̃nas (“wing”), Latvian spā̀rns (“wing”), Sanskrit पर्ण (parṇá, “wing”). Alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *p(t)erH- (“fern”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfi.ɛɾ]

Noun

fíer m (definite fieri)

1. fern

Declension

Declension of fier

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	fier	fieri
accusative		fierin
dat./abl.	fieri	fierit

Derived terms

• Fier
• fierajë
• fierishtë
• fierkuqe
• fierore

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French fier.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fir/, [fiːr]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: fier
• Rhymes: -ir

Adjective

fier (comparative fierder, superlative fierst)

1. proud

Declension

Declension of fier
uninflected	fier
inflected	fiere
comparative	fierder
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		fier	fierder	het fierst het fierste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	fiere	fierdere	fierste
	n. sing.	fier	fierder	fierste
	plural	fiere	fierdere	fierste
definite		fiere	fierdere	fierste
partitive		fiers	fierders	—

Synonyms

• trots

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: fier (dated)

East Central German

Etymology

From Middle High German vür, from Old High German furi, from Proto-West Germanic *furi, from Proto-Germanic *furi.

Compare Luxembourgish fir, German für, English for.

Preposition

fier

1. (Erzgebirgisch) for

Further reading

• 2020 June 11, Hendrik Heidler, Hendrik Heidler's 400 Seiten: Echtes Erzgebirgisch: Wuu de Hasen Hoosn haaßn un de Hosen Huusn do sei mir drhamm: Das Original Wörterbuch: Ratgeber und Fundgrube der erzgebirgischen Mund- und Lebensart: Erzgebirgisch – Deutsch / Deutsch – Erzgebirgisch‎^[1], 3. geänderte Auflage edition, Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 42:

French

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old French fer, from Latin ferus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fjɛʁ/

Adjective

fier (feminine fière, masculine plural fiers, feminine plural fières)

1. proud, gratified, honoured [(often) with de ‘of someone, something’]

   Il est fier de son fils. ― He is proud of his son.

2. proud, prideful, arrogant

   Synonym: hautain

3. (prenominal) remarkable

Derived terms

• devoir une fière chandelle
• fier comme un paon

Related terms

• féral
• féroce
• fier-à-bras
• fièrement
• fiérot
• fierté

Descendants

• → Dutch: fier
• Louisiana Creole: fyær

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old French fier, from Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, from Latin fīdere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fje/

• Audio; “se fier”:

  (file)

Verb

fier

1. (reflexive) to trust (someone), to rely (on someone) [with à]

   se fier à quelqu’un ― to rely on someone

Conjugation

Conjugation of se fier (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	se fier
	compound	s'être + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	se fiant /sə fjɑ̃/
	compound	ayant or étant + past participle
past participle		fié /fje/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	me fie /mə fi/	te fies /tə fi/	se fie /sə fi/	nous fions /nu fjɔ̃/	vous fiez /vu fje/	se fient /sə fi/
	imperfect	me fiais /mə fjɛ/	te fiais /tə fjɛ/	se fiait /sə fjɛ/	nous fiions /nu fi.jɔ̃/	vous fiiez /vu fi.je/	se fiaient /sə fjɛ/
	past historic2	me fiai /mə fje/	te fias /tə fja/	se fia /sə fja/	nous fiâmes /nu fjam/	vous fiâtes /vu fjat/	se fièrent /sə fjɛʁ/
	future	me fierai /mə fi.ʁe/	te fieras /tə fi.ʁa/	se fiera /sə fi.ʁa/	nous fierons /nu fi.ʁɔ̃/	vous fierez /vu fi.ʁe/	se fieront /sə fi.ʁɔ̃/
	conditional	me fierais /mə fi.ʁɛ/	te fierais /tə fi.ʁɛ/	se fierait /sə fi.ʁɛ/	nous fierions /nu fi.ʁjɔ̃/	vous fieriez /vu fi.ʁje/	se fieraient /sə fi.ʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of s'être + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of s'être + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of s'être + past participle
	future perfect	future of s'être + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of s'être + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	me fie /mə fi/	te fies /tə fi/	se fie /sə fi/	nous fiions /nu fi.jɔ̃/	vous fiiez /vu fi.je/	se fient /sə fi/
	imperfect2	me fiasse /mə fjas/	te fiasses /tə fjas/	se fiât /sə fja/	nous fiassions /nu fja.sjɔ̃/	vous fiassiez /vu fja.sje/	se fiassent /sə fjas/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of s'être + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of s'être + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	fie-toi /fi.twa/	—	fions-nous /fjɔ̃.nu/	fiez-vous /fje.vu/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of s'être + past participle	—	simple imperative of s'être + past participle	simple imperative of s'être + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

• confier
• défier
• méfier
• souvent femme varie, bien fol est qui s’y fie

Further reading

• “fier”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hunsrik

Hunsrik numbers ^(edit)

	40
←  3	4	5  →
Cardinal: fier     Ordinal: fiert

Etymology

PIE word
*kʷetwóres

Inherited from Central Franconian vier, from Middle High German vier, from Old High German fior, from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr, the neuter form of *kʷetwóres.

Cognate with German vier and Luxembourgish véier.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfiːa/
• Rhymes: -iːa
• Syllabification: fier

Numeral

fier

1. four

   Ich hon fier Menner gesihn.

   I have seen four men.

Related terms

• Fiereck

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

Derived from English fair.

Adjective

fier

1. fair
   • 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Aks 27:8:

     an bieli manij fi riich a wan plies niem Fier Ievnz nier Lasiiya toun.

     and we barely managed to reach a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

Middle English

Noun

fier

1. Alternative form of figer
2. Alternative form of fyr

Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin fīdō.

Alternative forms

• fïer (diaereses not universally used by scholars of Old French)

Verb

fier

1. (reflexive, se fier) to trust (someone, something)
   • c. 1180, Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette:

     Trestuit por lor seignor prioient,
     Qu’an Deu et an lui se fioient

     They all prayed for their master
     In him, and in God they put their trust

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of fier (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		fier			avoir fïé
gerund		en fiant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		fiant
past participle		fïé
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	fi	fïes	fïe	fions	fïez	fïent
	imperfect	fioie, fïeie, fioe, fïeve	fioies, fïeies, fioes, fïeves	fioit, fïeit, fiot, fïeve	fiiiens, fiiens	fiiiez, fiiez	fioient, fïeient, fioent, fïevent
	preterite	fiai	fias	fia	fiames	fiastes	fïerent
	future	fïerai	fïeras	fïera	fïerons	fïeroiz, fïereiz, fïerez	fïeront
	conditional	fïeroie, fïereie	fïeroies, fïereies	fïeroit, fïereit	fïeriiens, fïeriens	fïeriiez, fïeriez	fïeroient, fïereient
compound tenses	present perfect	present tense of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	preterite tense of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future tense of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que jo	que tu	qu’il	que nos	que vos	qu’il
simple tenses	present	fi	fis	fit	fions	fïez	fïent
	imperfect	fiasse	fiasses	fiast	fiissons, fiissiens	fiissoiz, fiissez, fiissiez	fiassent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	fïe	—	fions	fïez	—

Related terms

• fiance

Descendants

• French: (se) fier

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

fier m (oblique and nominative feminine singular fiere)

1. Alternative form of fer (“cruel; fierce”)

Declension

	Case	masculine	feminine	neuter
singular	subject	fiers	fiere	fier
	oblique	fier			fiere	fier
plural	subject	fier	fieres		fier
	oblique	fiers			fieres	fier

Romanian

Chemical element
Fe
Previous: mangan (Mn)
Next: cobalt (Co)

Alternative forms

• fer — regional

Etymology

Inherited from Latin ferrum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fjer/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

fier n (plural fiare)

1. (uncountable) iron

   Fierul este un metal.

   Iron is a metal.

   Bunica mea are multe oale de fier.

   My grandmother has many iron pots.

2. (countable) tool made of iron

Declension

Declension of fier

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	fier	fierul		fiare	fiarele
genitive-dative	fier	fierului		fiare	fiarelor
vocative	fierule			fiarelor

Derived terms

• înfiera
• fier de călcat
• fier vechi

Related terms

• fierar
• fierătaie
• fieros

References

• “fier”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Romansch

Etymology

From Latin ferrum. Compare Friulian fiêr.

Noun

fier m

1. iron

Walloon

Etymology

From Old French fer, from Latin ferrum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fjɛːʀ/

Noun

fier m (plural fiers)

1. iron

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian fir, fer, from Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic *ferrai.

Adjective

fier

1. far, distant

Inflection

Inflection of fier
uninflected	fier
inflected	fiere
comparative	fierder
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		fier	fierder	it fierst it fierste
indefinite	c. sing.	fiere	fierdere	fierste
	n. sing.	fier	fierder	fierste
	plural	fiere	fierdere	fierste
definite		fiere	fierdere	fierste
partitive		fiers	fierders	—

Further reading

• “fier”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

References

• Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN