Where does “alma” come from?

alma (Italian) comes from Vulgar Latin alima, from Latin anima, from Latin animus, from Proto-Italic anamos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁- — to breathe.

alma (Italian): soul

Definitions

  1. soul

Ancestry of “alma”, step by step

alma traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vulgar Latin alima

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latinalimasoul
2Latinanimasoul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath
3LatinanimusThat life-giving aspect which animates: life...
4Proto-Italicanamosbreath; spirit, soul, life force
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁mosbreath
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁-to breathe

via Ancient Greek ἅλμα

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekἅλμαspring, leap, jump; jumping, as an athletic...
2Ancient Greek-μαAdded to verbal stems to form neuter nouns...
3Proto-Indo-European-mn̥Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs

Words derived from “alma”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos →Every word from Proto-Italic anamos →