Where does “heart balm” come from?
heart balm (English) comes from English balm, from Middle English bawme, from French Baumé, from Old French basme, from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον, from Hebrew בושם, from Proto-Semitic *buśm-.
heart balm (English): Something that soothes a person's fears or...
Definitions
- Something that soothes a person's fears or...
Ancestry of “heart balm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | balm | Any of various aromatic resins exuded from... |
| 2 | Middle English | bawme | — |
| 3 | French | Baumé | — |
| 4 | Old French | basme | — |
| 5 | Latin | balsamum | balsam ; balm |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βάλσαμον | Arabian balsam tree; balsam, the fragrant oil... |
| 7 | Hebrew | בושם | perfume |
| 8 | Proto-Semitic | *buśm- | — |