'firearm' originates from the combination of 'fire' and 'arm', where 'fire' referred to the use of gunpowder and 'arm' meant 'weapon'.

'firearm' evolved from the Middle English term 'fyer arm', which was used to describe weapons that used fire or gunpowder.

Initially, it meant 'a weapon that uses fire or gunpowder', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.