Where does “psalm” come from?
psalm (Swedish) comes from Old Norse salmr, from Latin psalmus, from Ancient Greek ψαλμός, from Ancient Greek ψάλλω, from Ancient Greek ψάω — to touch lightly, rub, wipe, rub smooth; to...
psalm (Swedish): a hymn, a church song; a psalm of David, one of...
Definitions
- a hymn, a church song; a psalm of David, one of...
Ancestry of “psalm”, step by step
psalm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Norse salmr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | salmr | — |
| 2 | Latin | psalmus | psalm |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ψαλμός | twitching or twanging with the fingers; sound of... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ψάλλω | to twitch; to make a sound by striking, touching,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ψάω | to touch lightly, rub, wipe, rub smooth; to... |
via Old Norse psalmr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | psalmr | — |