alms

See also: ALMS, ALMs, and Alms

English

Etymology

    From Middle English almes, almesse, ælmesse, from Old English ælmesse, from Proto-West Germanic *alemōsinā, a borrowing from Vulgar Latin *alemosyna, from Late Latin eleēmosyna, from Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosúnē, alms), from ἐλεέω (eleéō, I have mercy), from ἔλεος (éleos, mercy). Compare Saterland Frisian Aalmoose (alms), Dutch aalmoes (alms), German Almosen (alms), Portuguese esmola (alms), Galician esmola (alms), Spanish limosna (alms), French aumône (alms).

    Pronunciation

    • (UK) IPA(key): /ɑːmz/
    • (US) IPA(key): /ɑmz/, /ɑlmz/, (obsolete) /æmz/[1]
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Rhymes: -ɑːmz, -ɑːlmz
    • Homophone: arms (most non-rhotic accents)

    Noun

    alms (plural alms)

    1. Something given to the poor as charity, such as money, clothing or food.
      She gave $10 weekly to the poor as alms.
      Alms are distributed from the weekly collection for the purpose.

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • Gullah: aa'ms

    Translations

    References

    1. ^ Krapp, George Philip (1925) The English Language in America[1], volume II, New York: Century Co. for the Modern Language Association of America, →OCLC, page 82.

    Anagrams

    Swedish

    Noun

    alms

    1. indefinite genitive singular of alm

    Anagrams