Where does “balsam” come from?
balsam (Swedish) comes from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον, from Hebrew בושם, from Proto-Semitic *buśm-.
Ancestry of “balsam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | balsamum | balsam ; balm |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | βάλσαμον | Arabian balsam tree; balsam, the fragrant oil... |
| 3 | Hebrew | בושם | perfume |
| 4 | Proto-Semitic | *buśm- | — |