Where does “palm” come from?
Palm comes from Middle English palme, from Old French palme, from Latin palma, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pelh₂-.
palm (English): Any of various evergreen trees from the family...
Definitions
- Any of various evergreen trees from the family...
Ancestry of “palm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | palme | palm |
| 2 | Old French | palme | palm leaf; Alternative form of paume |
| 3 | Latin | Palma | palm of the hand, hand |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₂meh₂ | palm, hand |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plh₂m- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pelh₂- | to approach |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |