Where does “alarming” come from?
Alarming derives from English alarm, from Middle English alarom, from Middle French alarme, from Italian all'arme! meaning "to arms!", from Latin arma meaning "weapons," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂(e)rmos.
alarming (English): present participle of alarm; causing...
Definitions
- present participle of alarm; causing...
Ancestry of “alarming”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | alarm | A summons to arms, as on the approach of an... |
| 2 | Middle English | alarme | — |
| 3 | Middle French | alarme | — |
| 4 | Italian | all'arme | a command to take up arms and be ready to fight: to arms! |
| 5 | Latin | arma | defensive arms, armor/armour, shields, weapons of... |
| 6 | Late Latin | armistitium | — |
| 7 | Latin | sistere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stísteh₂ti | to be standing up, to be getting up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |