firmament

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English firmament, furmament (“heaven; sky”), from Old French firmament (“firmament”), or from its etymon Latin firmāmentum (“support; sky”), from firmāre (“to strengthen”) + -mentum (suffix indicating an instrument or medium, or the result of an action). Firmāre is the present active infinitive of firmō (“to make firm, strengthen”), from firmus (“firm, strong, stable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold; to support”). The Latin word was used in the Vulgate version of the Bible to translate the Ancient Greek στερέωμα (steréōma, “foundation, framework; firmament”) in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), which in turn was used to translate the Hebrew רָקִיעַ (rāqī́aʿ, “celestial dome, vault of heaven”), from the root ר־ק־ע (r-q-`); in Classical Syriac the similar root ܪ ܩ ܥ (related to compacting) gave rise to ܪܩܝܥܐ (rəqīʿā, “compact; firm; firmament, heavens, sky; celestial sphere”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɜːməm(ə)nt/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfɝməmənt/ Hyphenation: fir‧ma‧ment === Noun === firmament (countable and uncountable, plural firmaments) (usually uncountable, literary, poetic, also figuratively) The vault of the heavens, where the clouds, sun, moon, and stars can be seen; the heavens, the sky. Synonyms: (Britain, dialectal) lift, (poetic, archaic) welkin (countable) The field or sphere of an activity or interest. the international fashion firmament (uncountable, astronomy, historical) In the geocentric Ptolemaic system, the eighth celestial sphere which carried the fixed stars; (countable, by extension) any celestial sphere. (uncountable, obsolete except biblical) The abode of God and the angels; heaven. (countable, obsolete) A piece of jewellery worn in a headdress with numerous gems resembling stars in the sky. (countable, obsolete, also figuratively) A basis or foundation; a support. (countable, obsolete) The act or process of making firm or strengthening. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Notes === === References === === Further reading === firmament on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Firmament in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin firmāmentum. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [fir.məˈmen] IPA(key): (Balearic) [fir.məˈment] IPA(key): (Valencia) [fiɾ.maˈment] === Noun === firmament m (plural firmaments) firmament, heavens === Further reading === “firmament”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “firmament”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “firmament” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. “firmament” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962. == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch firmament, from Latin firmāmentum, coined by Jerome in the Vulgate to render Ancient Greek στερέωμα (steréōma, “firm or solid structure”), which in turn translates Hebrew רקיע (“vault of heaven”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌfɪr.maːˈmɛnt/ Hyphenation: fir‧ma‧ment Rhymes: -ɛnt === Noun === firmament n (plural firmamenten, no diminutive) firmament (vault or sphere of the heavens, seen as solid in older cosmologies; sky) Synonyms: gespan, hemelgespan, uitspansel ==== Descendants ==== → Papiamentu: firmament (dated) == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Middle French firmament, from Old French firmament, borrowed from Latin firmāmentum. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fiʁ.ma.mɑ̃/ === Noun === firmament m (plural firmaments) firmament === Further reading === “firmament”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Nauruan == === Etymology === From German Firmament, from Middle High German firmament, from Late Latin firmāmentum. === Noun === firmament firmament == Occitan == === Etymology === From Latin firmāmentum. === Pronunciation === === Noun === firmament m (plural firmaments) firmament, heavens === Further reading === Joan de Cantalausa (2006), Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎[3], 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 484 == Polish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin firmāmentum. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /firˈma.mɛnt/ Rhymes: -amɛnt Syllabification: fir‧ma‧ment === Noun === firmament m inan celestial sphere, heaven, sky (archaic) foundation === Further reading === firmament in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN firmament in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French firmament, from Latin firmamentum. === Noun === firmament n (uncountable) firmament ==== Declension ====