farm 的词源

大约在公元1300年，herber这个词出现，意思是“草药花园，乐园”，源自古法语的erbier，意指“田野，草地；菜园”。这个词又源于拉丁语的herba，意思是“草，草药”（参见herb）。后来，这个词的意思扩展为“草地” （14世纪中期，这个意思在古法语中也有体现），以及“树木、灌木或藤蔓交织而成的阴凉角落，凉亭”（14世纪中期）。虽然它可能与拉丁语的arbor（意为“树”，参见arbor (n.2)）无关，但这个词或许在拼写上受到了影响：

[O]riginally signifying a place for the cultivation of herbs, a pleasure-ground, garden, subsequently applied to the bower or rustic shelter which commonly occupied the most conspicuous situation in the garden ; and thus the etymological reference to herbs being no longer apparent, the spelling was probably accommodated to the notion of being sheltered by trees or shrubs ( arbor). [Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859]

[O]riginally signifying a place for the cultivation of herbs, a pleasure-ground, garden, subsequently applied to the bower or rustic shelter which commonly occupied the most conspicuous situation in the garden; and thus the etymological reference to herbs being no longer apparent, the spelling was probably accommodated to the notion of being sheltered by trees or shrubs (arbor). [Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859]

不过，在中英语中，从er-到ar-的变化也反映了发音的演变。可以对比一下farm（来自ferme）和harbor（来自古英语herebeorg）。

14世纪晚期，指“征收税款等的人”，源自盎格鲁-法语的 fermer，古法语的 fermier 意为“租赁者”，进一步追溯至中世纪拉丁语的 firmarius，而 firma 则意为“固定支付”（参见 farm (n.)）。在农业领域，这个词在1590年代开始使用，逐渐取代了本土的 churl 和 husbandman。