Etymology

balm

B3A1L1M3

Today it means: Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America. Full definition →

Middle English bawme ← Middle French baume ← Old French basme
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromβάλσαμον
  2. Latin · derived frombalsamum
  3. Old French · derived frombasme
  4. Middle French · derived frombaume
  5. Middle English · inherited frombawme
  6. English todaybalm

Inherited from Middle English bawme, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Middle French baume, from Old French basme, from Latin balsamum, itself from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon). Spelling modified 16th c. to conform to Latin etymology. Doublet of balsam and desman.

Words from the same roots

Latinbalsamum all →

balsam

Ancient Greekβάλσαμον all →

balsam

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.