alms

views updated Jun 08 2018

alms / ä(l)mz/ • pl. n. (in historical contexts) money or food given to poor people.ORIGIN: Old English ælmysse, ælmesse, from Christian Latin eleemosyna, from Greek eleēmosunē ‘compassion,’ from eleēmōn ‘compassionate,’ from eleos ‘mercy.’

alms

views updated Jun 08 2018

alms OE. ælmesse, -mysse, whence almes (XIII–XVII; so in A.V.); reduced to alms XVII; corr. to OS. alamōsna, OHG. alamuosan (G. almosen), ON. ǫlmusa :- Gmc. *alemos(i)na — popL., Rom. *alemosina, alt., prob. through L. alimōnia ALIMONY, of Chrl. eleēmosyna — Gr. eleēmosúnē, f. eleḗmōn compassionate, f. éleos mercy. Treated as a pl. like eaves, riches, which are orig. sings.

alms

views updated May 18 2018

alms money or food given to poor people. Recorded from Old English (in the form ælmysse, ælmesse), the word comes via Christian Latin from Greek eleēmosunē ‘compassion’, and ultimately from eleos ‘mercy’.