asma (Latin)

Where does "asma" come from?

The Latin noun 'asma', meaning 'song, lyric ode, hymn', was borrowed from the Ancient Greek 'ᾆσμα', which translates to 'lyric song'[1]. The Greek term itself derives from 'ἀείδω' meaning 'to sing', combined with the suffix '-μα'[2].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin of the Proto-Hellenic root is uncertain, with proposed connections to a Proto-Indo-European root remaining without clear cognates in other branches. [3] [4]

Full etymology tree

• asma (Latin), 'song, lyric ode, hymn'
  • borrowed ᾆσμα (āîsma) (Ancient Greek), 'song, lyric ode, hymn'
    • derived ἀείδω (aeídō) (Ancient Greek), 'to sing, chant, praise'
      • inherited *awéidō (Proto-Hellenic), 'to sing'
        • derived *h₂weyd- (Proto-Indo-European)
    • suffix -μα (-ma) (Ancient Greek), 'Added to verbal stems to form neuter nouns denoting the effect or result of an action, a particular instance of an action, or the object of an action'

Ancestors

• ᾆσμα (Ancient Greek)

Related words

• psalmus (Latin)

Sources

1. asma (Latin) - Wiktionary
2. ᾆσμα (āîsma) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
3. ἀείδω (aeídō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
4. awéidō (Proto-Hellenic) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris