Fyre

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A bright, hot emission of flames and light produced by burning material
2. The intense heat and glowing gases that result when something combusts rapidly
3. Burning material that releases energy as visible light and warmth

Etymology: The spelling "fyre" is an older form of "fire," and it looks odd today mainly because English spelling changed after the Middle Ages. Its roots go back to Old English "fȳr," which descends from a Germanic word for the same thing. That ancient root also gave Greek "pyr," so English "fire" and the Greek word for fire are distant relatives. In Middle English, writers spelled the vowel in several ways, including "y" with a silent final "e," and "fyre" appears in manuscripts of that period. The spelling was not standardized, so writers chose among variants, and "fire" won out by the early modern period. Today "fyre" survives mainly in deliberate archaic or decorative use.