Faith & RitualGreek → English
Alms
/ɑːmz/noun
Money or goods given to the poor as a religious duty.
The Greek roots
ἐλεημοσύνη
eleēmosýnē
pity, charity
Literally: “act of mercy”
Follow a root:ἐλεημοσύνη1 word
The story of the word
Five Greek syllables became one English one. Ἐλεημοσύνη, from ἔλεος meaning mercy, went into Late Latin as eleemosyna, was chewed down through Vulgar Latin to something like alimosina, and reached Old English as ælmesse before losing almost everything. The full form survives in eleemosynary, and the root is audible every time a congregation sings Kyrie eleison. Alms looks plural but has always been singular.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Late Latin → Old English → English
- First recorded
- Old English
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
Same family
eleemosynaryalmoneralmshouse
In a sentence
A box for alms stood by the door, mostly ignored.