Wordwyrt

balm

/ˈbɒm/BOM
/ˈbɑm/BAHM

Meaningfragrant resin

Common meaning: soothing ointment or remedy

Journey through time

  1. Greekbalsamon‘fragrant resin’source
  2. Latinbalsamum‘fragrant resin’source
  3. Old Frenchbasmesource
  4. Englishmeaning shiftsfragrant resin → soothing ointment or remedybalm‘soothing ointment or remedy’ · today

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 Greek balsamon ‘fragrant resin’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry BALM, p. 49 · dictionary scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app