firm

记忆“firm”的方法是将其与“firmly”结合，想象一个物体（如树干）稳固、坚定地“firmly”站立，这样就能形象地记住“firm”表示坚固、坚定的含义。

firm 坚固的，商行，公司

来自PIE*dher, 支撑，握住，坚硬，词源同dharma,throne. 后用来指公司，商行。

firm

firm: [14] Firm comes ultimately from Latin firmus ‘stable, strong, immovable’. In its adjectival use, the English word’s semantic line of descent from its Latin original is perfectly clear, but the noun presents a very different story. From firmus was derived the verb firmāre ‘make firm, fix’, which in post-classical times came to mean ‘confirm’.

It passed into Italian as firmare, which was used in the sense ‘confirm by one’s signature’, hence simply ‘sign’. It formed the basis of a noun firma ‘signature’, and by extension the ‘name under which a business is carried on’, and finally the ‘business’ itself. English took the noun over with the latter two meanings in the 18th century. Other English words that trace their ancestry back to Latin firmus are firmament [13], from Latin firmāmentum (this originally meant simply ‘strengthening, support’, and acquired the sense ‘sky’ in post-classical times as a literal Biblical translation of Greek steréōma ‘heavenly vault’, a derivative of stereós ‘firm’, which in turn was a literal translation of Hebrew rāqī a ‘heavenly vault’, also derived from a word meaning ‘firm’); furl [16], originally a blend formed in Old French from ferm ‘firm’ and lier ‘tie’ (a relative of English liable); and farm, whose semantic history is quite similar to that of the noun firm.
=> farm, firmament, furl

firm (adj.)

late 14c., ferm, "strong, steady" (of things), "permanent, enduring" (of agreements), "steadfast, steady" (of persons), "sound, well-founded" (of arguments), from Old French ferm "strong, vigorous; healthy, sound; steadfast, loyal, faithful" (12c.), from Latin firmus "strong, steadfast, enduring, stable," figuratively "constant, steadfast, trusty, faithful," from PIE root *dher- (2) "to hold, support" (cognates: Sanskrit dharmah "custom, law," Greek thronos "seat," Lithuanian dirzmas "strong," Welsh dir "hard," Breton dir "steel"). The spelling return to -i- in late 1500s was modeled on Latin. Related: Firmly; firmness.

firm (n.)

"business house," 1744, according to Barnhart from German Firma "a business, name of a business," originally "signature," from Italian firma "signature," from firmare "to sign," from Latin firmare "make firm, affirm," in Late Latin, "confirm (by signature)," from firmus "firm, stable" (see firm (adj.)).

firm (v.)

c. 1300, fermen "make firm, establish," from Old French fermer "consolidate; fasten, secure; build, set up; fortify" (12c.) or directly from Latin firmare "make firm; affirm; strengthen, fortify, sustain; establish, prove, declare," from firmus "strong, steadfast, stable" (see firm (adj.)). Intransitive use, "become firm" is from 1879; with up (adv.) from 1956. Related: Firmed; firming.

1. Choose a soft, medium or firm mattress to suit their individual needs.

针对他们各人不同的需要挑选柔软、软硬适中或者坚硬的床垫。

2. An oil executive swindled £50,000 out of his firm.

一名石油公司主管从其公司骗取了5万英镑。

3. "But Peter, it's not that simple," Goldstone countered in a firm voice.

“但是，彼得，事情并非那么简单，”戈德斯通语气坚决地驳斥道。

4. Why should a successful company allow another firm to pick its brains?

为什么一个成功的企业就得允许别的公司来讨教呢？

5. The council is standing firm against the barrage of protest.

委员会面对接二连三的抗议拒不让步。

【firm, stable, steady】
这组词都有“稳固的”的意思，其区别是：
firm: 指牢固不可动摇或意志、信仰的坚定。
stable: 多指根基牢固，平衡良好，也指性格或位置等的稳定，不可移动或改变。
steady: 指保持平衡不动摇。用于有形物时，指没有根基的稳固，也指动中的稳。

【firm, company, corporation】
这组词都有“公司”的意思，其区别是：
firm: 含义广泛，可指公司、商行或商号。规模可大可小，经营、管理的人员可多可少。
company: 多指生产或销售产品的公司、商号，也可指经办服务性项目的公司。
corporation: 多指一个人拥有或多人联办的大公司，也指在其它地区或国家拥有分公司的公司。

【solid, firm, hard】
这组词都有“坚定的，结实的”的意思，其区别是：
solid: 着重质地紧密、坚实和无间隙，含有在外部压力下仍可保持原有形状的意味。
firm: 侧重指质地坚硬、不易切割或有弹性，一旦变形会很快恢复原形。
hard: 侧重有抗拒压力或拉力的性质，但不一定有弹性。