Where does “Alma” come from?
Alma (Tagalog) comes from Spanish alma, from Old Spanish alma, from Latin anima, from Latin animus, from Proto-Italic anamos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁- — to breathe.
Ancestry of “Alma”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Spanish | alma | soul |
| 2 | Old Spanish | alma | — |
| 3 | Latin | anima | soul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath |
| 4 | Latin | animus | That life-giving aspect which animates: life... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | anamos | breath; spirit, soul, life force |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁mos | breath |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁- | to breathe |