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alms - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

    Ancient Greek ἔλεος (éleos)

    Proto-Indo-European *-eti

    Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)

    Ancient Greek ἐλεέω (eleéō)

    Proto-Indo-European *-mō

    Ancient Greek -μων (-mōn)

    Ancient Greek ἐλεήμων (eleḗmōn)

    English alms

    From Middle English almes, almesse, ælmesse, from Old English ælmesse, from Proto-West Germanic *alemōsinā, a borrowing from Vulgar Latin *alemosyna, from Late Latin eleēmosyna, from Ancient Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosúnē, “alms”), from ἐλεέω (eleéō, “I have mercy”), from ἔλεος (éleos, “mercy”). Compare Saterland Frisian Aalmoose (“alms”), Dutch aalmoes (“alms”), German Almosen (“alms”), Portuguese esmola (“alms”), Galician esmola (“alms”), Spanish limosna (“alms”), French aumône (“alms”).

    alms (plural alms)

    1. Something given to the poor as charity, such as money, clothing or food.
      She gave $10 weekly to the poor as alms.
      Alms are distributed from the weekly collection for the purpose.

    something given to the poor as charity

    1. ^ Krapp, George Philip (1925) The English Language in America‎[1], volume II, New York: Century Co. for the Modern Language Association of America, →OCLC, page 82.

    alms

    1. indefinite genitive singular of alm

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