firewood
UK[ˈfaɪəwʊd]US[ˈfaɪrˌwʊd]
n
Wood that has been cut into pieces and is used for burning on a fire.
Morpheme Breakdown
fire
wood
fire
fire, flame, bonfire
wood
tree, trees collectively, forest; wood, timber
Etymology
The word 'firewood' is a transparent compound formed from two native Old English roots, 'fȳr' and 'wudu'. It follows a classic Germanic compounding pattern where the first element modifies the second, specifying the type or purpose of the wood. Literally, it means "wood for fire," directly describing its primary function as fuel. This straightforward construction has remained semantically stable for centuries, perfectly capturing the essential relationship between the material and its intended use.
Analysis
Structure: fire + wood
fire: From Old English 'fȳr', meaning "fire, flame, bonfire". It functions as a noun modifier in this compound.
wood: From Old English 'wudu', meaning "tree, trees collectively, forest; wood, timber". It functions as the core noun in this compound.
Examples
We spent the afternoon gathering firewood for the campfire.
The old shed at the back of the garden is stacked with dry firewood.
They sell bundles of seasoned firewood at the local farm stand.