Firmament

Forms: 4–6 fer-, fyrmament(e, 3– firmament, [ad. L. firmāment-um, f. firmā-re to strengthen, f. firmus firm. Cf. OF. firmament.

  In class. Lat. the word means ‘something which strengthens or supports’ (cf. 3). In the Vulgate it was adopted, in imitation of the στερέωμα. of the LXX (properly ‘firm or solid structure,’ f. στερεόειν to make firm or solid, f. στερεός firm, solid), as the rendering of Heb. [Hebrew], applied to the vault of the sky. The Heb. word prob. means ‘expanse,’ from the root [Hebrew] which in the Bible has the senses ‘to tread,’ ‘to beat out (metals),’ ‘to spread out’; but in Syriac the vb. means ‘to condense, make firm or solid,’ whence the Gr. and Lat. renderings of the sb.]

  1.  The arch or vault of heaven overhead, in which the clouds and the stars appear; the sky or heavens. In mod. use only poet. or rhetorical.

[c. 1050.  Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia (1885), VIII. 309. On þam oðrum dæȝe he ȝeworhte firmamentum þæt ys þeos heofon.]

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 95. Ðo god bad ben ðe firmament.

c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 226/248. Þat huy ne yseiȝen no-þing bote þe se ant þe firmament.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Merch. T., 975.

	Bright was the day, and bliew the firmament,
	Phebus hath of gold his stremes doun i-sent.

1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 93. That lyttle sleepe that they had, was euer for moste parte abrode vnder the firmamente: And that not without watchemen, and in contynual remoouinge as the nature of warre requyreth.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 604.

	Now glow’d the Firmament
	With living Saphirs.

1693.  Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 192. This morning a rainbow seen in the firmament with 2 ends standing up.

1846.  trans. Schlegel’s Phil. Hist., 80. The northern firmament possesses by far the largest and most brilliant constellations.

1877.  Bryant, Poems, Receive thy Sight, ii.

	At once he saw the pleasant rays
	That lit the glorious firmament;
	And, with firm step and words of praise,
	He followed where the Master went.

  b.  Heaven, as the place where God dwells. Obs. exc. in Biblical and liturgical phrases.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 220.

	Thikke þowsandeȝ thro þrwen þper-oute
	Fellen fro the fyrmament, fendeȝ ful blake.

1388.  Wyclif, Ps. cl. 1. Herie ȝe þe lord in hise seyntis! herie ȝe him in þe firmament of his vertu!

1535.  Coverdale, Song 3 Childr., 33. Blessed be thou in y^e firmament of heauen.

1611.  Bible, Ps. cl. 1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his Sanctuarie: Praise him in the firmament of his power.

  c.  transf. and fig.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 104. Pite, whiche may wele be called the firmament of perfeccyon, for it is the stablysshment of all holy conuersacyon, whereby man … discerneth waters from waters.

1643.  Milton, Divorce, II. xxii. (1851), 127. That it may be suffer’d to stand in the place where God set it amidst the firmament of his holy Laws to shine.

	Ibid. (1667), P. L., II. 175.
	What if all
	Her stores were op’n’d, and this Firmament
	Of Hell should spout her Cataracts of Fire?

1871.  E. F. Burr, Ad Fidem, vi. 97. If He exists, this Sun can very easily do more to throw light on our darkness than a whole firmament of twinkling philosophers and philosophies.

  † 2.  In old Astronomy: The sphere containing the fixed stars; the eighth heaven of the Ptolemaic system.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 43. A cercle with þe xii. signez of þe firmament.

1450–1530.  Myrr. our Ladye, 93. A nother heuen ys called the fyrmamente where are the sterres, and vnder that sonne and mone and other planettes and elementes.

1551.  Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 7. Aboue these seuen planetes, is there an other heauen or skie, whiche commonly is named the Firmament, and hath in it an infinite numbre of starres, wherof it is called the Starrye skie.

1635.  N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. iv. 79 The distance of the Firmament, wherein are placed the fixt Starres, is by the best Mathematicians thought incomprehensible, and not measurable by mans industrie.

1665.  Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1845), 15. By casting our eyes down to our feet, we may in the water see those Stars that shine in the Firmament or highest visible Heaven.

  † b.  Hence, applied sometimes to the other celestial spheres. First firmament: the Primum mobile.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 197.

	O firste moving cruel firmament,
	With thy diurnal swegh that croudest ay,
	And hurtlest all from Est til Occident,
	That naturally wold hold another way.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 2.

	That he can all the lawe deme
	And yiven every jugement
	Which longeth to the firmament
	Both of the sterre and of the mone.

1551.  Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 11. This motion is lykewayes called of aunciente writers the motion of the First firmament.

  c.  transf. in Alchemy. (Cf. HEAVEN.)

1610.  B. Jonson, Alchemist, II. iii. Your sunne, your moone, your firmament, your adrop.

  † 3.  In the literal etymological sense: Anything which strengthens or supports; a substratum, a firm support or foundation, lit. and fig.

1554.  Knox, Godly Let., B viij. Here is the firmamente of my fyrst cause.

a. 1555.  Philpot, Exam. & Writ. (Parker Soc.), 382–3. Paul calleth the church the firmament and pillar of truth.

1578.  J. Banister, The Historie of Man, I. 17. [That] this same bone nature exactly compassed, to the end it might be vnto Larinx as a firmament, and foundation.

1615.  Crooke, Body of Man, 388. It was not safe that his thinne coat should runne along without some Firmament.

a. 1626.  Bacon, Interpr. Nature, i. Wks. 1857, III. 218. I thought it good and necessary in the first place to make a strong and sound head or bank to rule and guide the course of the waters; by setting down this position or firmament, namely, That all knowledge is to be limited by religion, and to be referred to use and action.

1649.  Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. ix. 121. This duty to parents is the very firmament and band of common wealths.

1701.  S. Sewall, Diary, 30 June (1879), II. 38. By reason of the absence of him who was the Firmament and Ornament of the Province.

  b.  The process of strengthening or making firm.

1650.  Bulwer, Anthropomet., 144. The Tongue hath a Ligament for two causes: First, for the firmament of its Basis.

  † 4.  (See quot.)

1690.  Evelyn, Mundus Muliebris, 7.

	Pins tipt with Diamond Point, and head,
	By which the Curls are fastened,
	In radiant Firmament set out,
	And over all the Hood sur-tout.

    Ibid., Fop-Dict., 18. Firmament. Diamonds, or other precious Stones heading the Pins which they stick in the Tour, and Hair, like Stars.

  5.  Comb.

1593.  Nashe, Christ’s Teares, Wks. (Grosart), IV. 70. Theyr Firmament-propping foundation, shal be adequated with the Valley of Iehosaphat.

  Hence Firmamentwards adv., towards the firmament; heavenwards.

1886.  Burton, Arab. Nts., I. 188. Then she flew firmamentwards to circle it, as was her custom, and met an Ifrit on the wing.