Wordwyrt

alarm

/əˈlɑːm/uh-LAHRM
/əˈlɑɹm/uh-LAHRM

Meaningto arms!

Common meaning: a warning of danger

‘to, towards (form of ad-)’ + ‘weapons, gear of war’ → alarm

Journey through time

  1. Latinarma‘weapons, gear of war’
  2. Frenchalarme
  3. Englishalarm‘a warning of danger’ · today

al- also in: allyalludeallocatealleviate

arm also in: armyarmourarmisticedisarm

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin arma ‘weapons, gear of war’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry arma, p. 33 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry ALARM, p. 14 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • arma Latin “weapons, gear of war”

Related words

armisticearmourarmsarmydisarm

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