Fired
/ˈfaɪərd/noun
Past tense and past participle of fire; to heat, ignite, or dismiss from a job.
Did you know?English fire comes from a Germanic word family tied to burning, while the verb sense “to dismiss” is much newer and metaphorically treats a person like something thrown out of the blaze.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*péh₂wr̥
“fire”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fūrī
“fire”
Old English
OE
fȳr
“fire”
Middle English
English
firen
“to set on fire; later, to discharge a weapon”
Modern English
English
fired
“ignited; discharged; dismissed from employment”