Psalms

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɑːmz/

Definitions

1. A collection of sacred songs, prayers, or hymns found in the Bible, often expressing devotion or lamentation
2. Poetic compositions traditionally attributed to various authors, used in Jewish and Christian worship as expressions of faith
3. Liturgical texts that convey themes of praise, supplication, and reflection, integral to religious ceremonies and personal meditation

Etymology: The Greek word "psalmos" originally described the sound made when strings were plucked or twanged, most often on a stringed instrument. Over time, in the New Testament period, it came to mean a tune played on the harp, then any tune on any instrument, and finally a song sung with or without accompaniment. By the Byzantine period it had lost every trace of its instrumental meaning, so a psalm was simply a sung piece. The Greek term passed into Latin as "psalmus" and from there into English. Old English had "psealm", which came to Middle English as "salm" or "psalme". Old French "psalme" (modern "psaume") later reinforced the English form, so the word came through two routes at once. The plural "psalms" is the form of "psalm" used for the collection of sacred poems in the Bible, which are traditionally attributed to various authors, and it is used in Jewish and Christian worship as expressions of faith.