An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/feiern

by Friedrich Kluge

feiern, ‘to celebrate,’ from MidHG. vîren, OHG. fîrrôn, fîrôn, ‘to celebrate, keep a festival,’ formed from Lat. feriari. The borrowed word is found in the Teut. languages of Middle Europe (Du. vierdag, OFris. fîra), but is wanting in E. and Scand. The Romance languages preserve Lat. feriae in the sense of ‘fair’; comp. Ital. fiera, Fr. foire (hence E. fair). Comp. Messe and Fest. —