Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “barm” come from?

Barm comes from Middle English bearm, from Old English bearm, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root bʰer-.

barm (English): Bosom, lap; Foam rising upon beer, or other malt...

Definitions

  1. Bosom, lap; Foam rising upon beer, or other malt...

Ancestry of “barm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbarmThe lap; chest, torso, abdomen; belly, stomach
2Old Englishbearmbosom, lap; possession
3Proto-West Germanic*barm—
4Proto-Germanicbarmazlap; bosom
5Indo-European*bʰer-—

Words derived from “barm”

  • barmcake
Every word from Indo-European *bʰer- →