FIRMAMENT

firmament, the sky, the heavens. in the vulgate the word _firmamentum_, which means in classical latin a strengthening or support (_firmare_, to make firm or strong) was used as the equivalent of [greek: stereoma] ([greek: stereoein], to make firm or solid) in the lxx., which translates the heb. raqiya'. the hebrew probably signifies literally "expanse," and is thus used of the expanse or vault of the sky, the verb from which it is derived meaning "to beat out." in syriac the verb means "to make firm," and is the direct source of the gr. [greek: stereoma] and the lat. _firmamentum_. in ancient astronomy the firmament was the eighth sphere containing the fixed stars surrounding the seven spheres of the planets. firman (an adaptation of the per. _ferman_, a mandate or patent, cognate with the sanskrit _pramana_, a measure, authority), an edict of an oriental sovereign, used specially to designate decrees, grants, passports, &c., issued by the sultan of turkey and signed by one of his ministers. a decree bearing the sultan's sign-manual and drawn up with special formalities is termed a _hatti-sherif_, arabic words meaning a line, writing or command, and lofty, noble. a written decree of an ottoman sultan is also termed an _irade_, the word being taken from the arab. _irada_, will, volition, order.