fyr

See also: fyr- and FYR

Danish

Etymology 1

Possibly a contraction of Middle Low German fīrburs (“unemployed craftsman”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːˀr/, [ˈfyɐ̯ˀ]

Noun

fyr c (singular definite fyren, plural indefinite fyre)

1. (informal) guy (a younger male person)
2. (colloquial) boyfriend (a male lover)

Declension

Declension of fyr

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fyr	fyren	fyre	fyrene
genitive	fyrs	fyrens	fyres	fyrenes

Etymology 2

PIE word
*péh₂wr̥

From Middle Low German vǖr, from Old Saxon fiur.

Cognate with English fire, German Feuer, Dutch vuur and distantly Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːˀr/, [ˈfyɐ̯ˀ]

Noun

fyr n (singular definite fyret, plural indefinite fyr)

1. lighthouse, radio beacon (a tower that guides ships)
2. boiler (a device to produce heat from gas or oil)
3. (uncountable, in the indefinite) fire, light (in something)

Declension

Declension of fyr

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fyr	fyret	fyr	fyrene
genitive	fyrs	fyrets	fyrs	fyrenes

Derived terms

• fyrtårn

Etymology 3

From Old Norse fura.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyr/, [ˈfyɐ̯]

Noun

fyr c (singular definite fyrren, plural indefinite fyrre)

1. pine (a tree of the genus Pinus)
2. pinewood, deal (wood from a pine)

Declension

Declension of fyr

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fyr	fyrren	fyrre	fyrrene
genitive	fyrs	fyrrens	fyrres	fyrrenes

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːˀr/, [ˈfyɐ̯ˀ]

Verb

fyr

1. imperative of fyre

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English fȳr, from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from Proto-Germanic *fōr.

Alternative forms

• fer, fier, fir, fyre, vir
• fer (East Anglia)
• fuir, fur, fuyr, vur (Southern, West Midland)
• ver (Kent)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fiːr/
• IPA^(key): (East Anglia) /feːr/, (Kent) /veːr/
• IPA^(key): /fyːr/, /vyːr/ (Southern, West Midland)

Noun

fyr (uncountable)

1. fire
   • c. 1180, Orͬm, “Secundum Iohannem .XVIII. [John 1:19]”, in Orͬmulum (Bodleian MS. Junius 1), Bourne Abbey, Lincolnshire, folio 80, recto; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 10 January 2019:

     Þe fır off helle ıſſ endelæſ. ⁊ aᵹᫌ occ aᵹᫌ unᷠcƿenᷠkedd. Sƿa ꝥ ıtt muᵹͪe laſſtenᷠ. a. To bærnenᷠ. ⁊ to pınenᷠ.

     The fire of hell is permanent and forever unextinguished, so that it can always exist to scorch and torment […]

Derived terms

• fyr-brand
• fyry
• wilde fyr

Descendants

• English: fire
  • → Japanese: ファイヤー (faiyā)
  • Sranan Tongo: faya
• Scots: fyre, feier
• Yola: vire, vier

References

• “fīr, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Noun

fyr

1. alternative form of firre

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Probably a shortening of the Low German firburs, meaning a full-fledged craftsman who is unemployed.

Noun

fyr m (definite singular fyren, indefinite plural fyrer, definite plural fyrene)

1. guy, bloke

   Synonyms: gubbe, kar, mann

   Han er en merkelig fyr ― he is a weird guy

   Sjekk den fyren der ― check out that guy (over there)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse fýrr, cognate with its Nordic equivalents, Old Frisian fiur, Old Saxon fiur, Dutch vuur, Old High German fiur, German Feuer and English fire. Believed to ultimately stem from Proto-Germanic *fōr, and Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥, which also is the origin of Greek πυρ (pyr).

Noun

fyr m (definite singular fyren, indefinite plural fyrer, definite plural fyrene)

1. the presence of fire

   Synonyms: ild, flamme

   Å sette fyr på noe ― to set something on fire

   Skogen tok fyr ― the forest caught fire

   Fyr! ― fire! (when using firearms)

   Har du fyr? ― Got a light? (for cigarettes or similar)

2. furnace room, boiler room, stokehold

   Synonyms: fyrrom, ildsted

   Jeg har jobbet i fyren hele dagen ― I've been working in the boiler the whole day

Related terms

• fyrig

Etymology 3

As for Etymology 2.

Noun

fyr n (definite singular fyret, indefinite plural fyr, definite plural fyra or fyrene)

1. lighthouse, beacon

   Synonym: fyrtårn

   Fyret har stått der siden 1800-tallet. ― The lighthouse has been there since the 1800s.

Derived terms

• fyrskip
• ta fyr (“catch fire”)
• være i fyr og flamme (“be full of enthusiasm”, literally “be in fire and flame”)

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

fyr

1. imperative of fyre

References

• “fyr” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Probably a shortening of the Low German firburs, meaning an unemployed craftsman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/

Noun

fyr m (definite singular fyren, indefinite plural fyrar, definite plural fyrane)

1. guy, bloke
   • 1863, Ivar Aasen, Høgferd:

     Det er den største Gleda, ein liten Fyr kann faa, at han slepp upp i Høgdi, so Folk maa honom sjaa […]

     It is the greatest joy a little guy can have, to make it into the heights, so that people can see him […]

Etymology 2

From Old Norse fýrr, cognate with its Nordic equivalents, Old Frisian fiur, Old Saxon fiur, Dutch vuur, Old High German fiur, German Feuer and English fire. Believed to ultimately stem from Proto-Germanic *fōr, and Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥, which also is the origin of Greek πυρ (pyr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/

Noun

fyr m (definite singular fyren, indefinite plural fyrar, definite plural fyrane)

1. fire
2. light (means of starting a fire)

   Har du fyr?

   Do you have a light?

Noun

Eigerøy fyr.

fyr n (definite singular fyret, indefinite plural fyr, definite plural fyra)

1. lighthouse, beacon

Usage notes

• Until recently, the Norwegian language authorities accepted a masculine inflection of this noun in the sense of a lighthouse. Masculine is also the gender listed by Ivar Aasen in his dictionary of 1850.

Derived terms

• blinkfyr
• fyrlys
• fyrskip
• fyrtøy
• ta fyr (“catch fire”)
• trafikkfyr
• vera i fyr og flamme (“be full of enthusiasm”, literally “be on fire and flame”)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/

Verb

fyr

1. imperative of fyra

References

• “fyr” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• Ivar Aasen (1850), “Fyr”, in Ordbog over det norske Folkesprog‎^[1] (in Danish), Oslo: Samlaget, published 2000

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from Proto-Germanic *fōr, from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/
• Rhymes: -yːr

Noun

fȳr n

1. fire
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Another Vision"

     Sē līeġ wæs mid manna sāwlum āfylled, and hīe āsprungon upp mid þām fȳre swā swā spearcan.

     The flame was filled with people's souls, and they sprang up with the fire like sparks.

   • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 473

     Þā Wēalas flugon þā Engle swā swā fȳr.

     The Welsh fled the English like fire.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Mark 14:54

     Hē sæt mid þām weardum and wiermde hine æt þǣm fȳre.

     He sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	fȳr	fȳr
accusative	fȳr	fȳr
genitive	fȳres	fȳra
dative	fȳre	fȳrum

Derived terms

• fȳren
• fȳrhūs
• fȳrian
• fȳrsmeortende
• fȳrtorr
• heofonfȳr
• wilde fȳr

Descendants

• Middle English: fyr, fer, fier, fir, fyre, vir, fer (East Anglia), fuir, fur, fuyr, vur (Southern, West Midland), ver (Kent)
  • English: fire
    • → Japanese: ファイヤー (faiyā)
    • Sranan Tongo: faya
  • Scots: fyre, feier
  • Yola: vire, vier

Etymology 2

Comparative of feor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyr/
• Rhymes: -yr

Adverb

fyr

1. alternative form of fierr

Old Norse

Etymology

Short form of fyrir.

Preposition

fyr

1. alternative form of fyrir

Swedish

Etymology 1

Probably a shortening of the Low German firburs, meaning an unemployed craftsman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/
• Rhymes: -yːr

Noun

fyr c

1. a (happy) fellow, a chap
   • 1981, “Luffarvisan [The tramp song]”, Astrid Lindgren (lyrics), Gösta Linderholm (music)‎^[2]performed by Allan Edwall, Erik Lindgren:

     Se på luffarn [luffaren] som går här på vägen.
     Se på luffarn [luffaren], Guds lille fyr.
     Så snart som det blir vår
     går han ut och går
     för att söka sig äventyr.

     Look at the tramp walking here on the road.
     Look at the tramp, God's little chap.
     As soon as spring arrives [as soon as it becomes spring]
     he goes out and walks
     to seek [himself] adventure.

Usage notes

A bit old-fashioned.

Declension

Declension of fyr

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	fyr	fyrs
	definite	fyren	fyrens
plural	indefinite	fyrar	fyrars
	definite	fyrarna	fyrarnas

Etymology 2

From Old Norse fúrr, fýr, fýrir, funi, from Proto-Germanic *fōr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂wṓr, earlier *péh₂wōr, collective of *péh₂wr̥.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fyːr/
• Rhymes: -yːr

Noun

fyr c

1. a lighthouse
   • 1928, Riksdagens protokoll vid lagtima riksmötet, page 134:

     Fyrarna kunde förses med ledande lysvinklar och medelt kabelanslutning erhålla elektrisk energi för drift av såväl fyr- som mistsignalapparater.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (in some expressions) fire (especially when used for heating)

   Synonym: eld

   sätta fyr på veden

   set fire to the wood

   få veden att ta fyr

   get the wood burning

Declension

Declension of fyr

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	fyr	fyrs
	definite	fyren	fyrens
plural	indefinite	fyrar	fyrars
	definite	fyrarna	fyrarnas

Related terms

• fyrtorn
• fyrvaktare

See also

• sätta fyr på
• ta fyr
• fyra av

References

• “fyr”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “fyr”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “fyr”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /vɨ̞r/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /vɪr/

Adjective

fyr

1. soft mutation of byr (“short”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of byr

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
byr	fyr	myr	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.