*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of palm

From Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch”), from Latin palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂, *pl̥h₂emeh₂ (“palm of the hand”), fr

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics. · A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing. · Triumph; victory. · Any of the twenty-three awards that can be earned after obtaining the Eagle Scout rank, but generally only before turning eighteen years old.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch”), from Latin palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂, *pl̥h₂emeh₂ (“palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Cognate with Dutch palm, German Palme, Danish palme, Icelandic pálmur (“palm”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*pleh₂-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionpalmeenm
  • Inherited-form mentionpalmang
  • Derivation mentionpalmala · palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand
  • Derivation mention*pl̥h₂meh₂ine-pro
  • Derivation mention*pleh₂-ine-pro · flat
  • Cognate mentionpalmnl
  • Cognate mentionPalmede
  • Cognate mentionpalmeda
  • Cognate mentionpálmuris · palm
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "*pleh₂-"
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      "name": "taxfmt",
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        "2": "species"
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      },
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    },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
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      },
      "expansion": "Dutch palm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Palme"
      },
      "expansion": "German Palme"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "palme"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish palme"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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      "palma",
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    ],
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    ],
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      "*pleh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pleh₂-"
    ],
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      "palm",
      "palm#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Palme",
      "Palme#German"
    ],
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      "palme",
      "palme#Danish"
    ],
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      "pálmur",
      "pálmur#Icelandic"
    ]
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  "descendants": [],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To hold or conceal something in the palm of the hand, e.g., for an act of sleight of hand or to steal something. · To hold something without bending the fingers significantly. · To move something with the palm of the hand. · To use one's palm as identification to get through a door or security checkpoint.

noun

The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers. · The corresponding part of the forefoot of a nonprimate mammal. · Synonym of hand, any of various units of length notionally derived from the breadth of the palm, formalized in England as 4 inches and now chiefly used for the height of horses · Any of various units of length notionally derived from the length of the palm from the wrist to the base of the fingers.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English palme, paume, from Old French palme, paulme, paume (“palm of the hand, ball, tennis”), from Latin palma (“palm of the hand, hand-breadth”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂(e)meh₂ (“palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Doublet of palmo, palma, and pam. Cognate with Ancient Greek παλάμη (palámē, “palm of the hand”), Old English folm (“palm of the hand”), Old Irish lám (“hand”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionpalmeenm
  • Derivation mentionpalmefro
  • Derivation mentionpalmala · palm of the hand, hand-breadth
  • Derivation mention*pl̥h₂(e)meh₂ine-pro · palm of the hand
  • Derivation mention*pleh₂-ine-pro · flat
  • Doublet mentionpalmoen
  • Doublet mentionpalmaen
  • Doublet mentionpamen
  • Cognate mentionπαλάμηgrc · palm of the hand
  • Cognate mentionfolmang · palm of the hand
  • Cognate mentionlámsga · hand

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "3": "palme"
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        "2": "palmo",
        "3": "palma",
        "4": "pam"
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
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      "palme",
      "palme#Middle_English"
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      "palme#Old_French"
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      "paulme#Old_French"
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    ],
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      "palma",
      "palma#Latin"
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    ],
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    ],
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        "Synonym of hand, any of various units of length notionally derived from the breadth of the palm, formalized in England as 4 inches and now chiefly used for the height of horses",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for palm →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cGFsbQ