Where does “barmy” come from?
barmy (English) comes from English barm, from Middle English barm, from Old English bearm, from Proto-West Germanic *barm, from Proto-Germanic barmaz, from Indo-European *bʰer-.
barmy (English): Odd, strange, or crazy; Containing barm, i.e....
Definitions
- Odd, strange, or crazy; Containing barm, i.e....
Ancestry of “barmy”, step by step
barmy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English barm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | barm | Bosom, lap; Foam rising upon beer, or other malt... |
| 2 | Middle English | barm | The lap; chest, torso, abdomen; belly, stomach |
| 3 | Old English | bearm | bosom, lap; possession |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *barm | lap |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | barmaz | lap; bosom |
| 6 | Indo-European | *bʰer- | — |
via Russian бармы
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | бармы | — |