psalm English · revision 789

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɑːm/ ''(UK)''; /sɑm/, /sɑlm/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|psalme]], ''salme'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989) [[inh|ang|psalm]], ''sealm'', ''salm'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) an early borrowing of [[la-lat|psalmus]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) reinforced in Middle English by Old French ''psaume'', ''saume'',^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) [[der|grc|ψαλμός|tr=psalmós|t=song sung to the harp; a plucking of strings]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) from ''psállein'' “to pluck, play a stringed instrument”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Any sacred song sung in religious worship; a hymn (c. 825, as ''sealm'').^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the Septuagint ''psalmós'' rendered Hebrew ''mizmōr'' “song”, especially the songs sung by David to the harp and collected in the Book of Psalms.^(Etymonline) English used ''the Psalms'' for that book from c. 950.^(OED 1989) After some hesitation the learned ''ps-'' spelling prevailed, as in German and French,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) but English is almost alone in not pronouncing the ''p''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The ''l'' was also often lost in Middle English and Old French.^(Barnhart 1995) The verb, to sing or celebrate in psalms, dates from c. 1000,^(OED 1989) and ''psalmist'' from 1483.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – Old English ''sealm'', a sacred song.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 950 – ''the Psalms'', the Book of Psalms.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1000 – verb, to celebrate in psalms.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1290 – ''saume'', from Old French.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1483 – ''psalmist''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A sacred song or poem used in worship; a [[hymn]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Psalm'': any of the 150 hymns of the Old Testament Book of [[Psalms]], or a metrical version of one.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To sing of or celebrate in psalms.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[psalmic]]

+ * [[psalmbook]]

+ * [[psalmist]]

+ * [[psalmody]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[psalter]]

+ * [[psaltery]]

+ * [[Psalms]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}