Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hymnal” come from?

Hymnal comes from English hymn, from Latin hymnus, from Ancient Greek ὕμνος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sh₂em, meaning to sing or recite.

hymnal (English): A collection of hymns; a hymn book; Of or...

Definitions

  1. A collection of hymns; a hymn book; Of or...

Ancestry of “hymnal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhymnA song of praise or worship; To sing a hymn; To...
2Middle Englishymnehymn
3Old Frenchymnehymn
4Latinhymnushymn; a song of praise
5Ancient Greekὕμνοςsong, hymn, ode
6Proto-Indo-Europeansh₂em-sing; to sing

Words derived from “hymnal”

  • hymnally
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sh₂em- →