shawm
/ʃɔːm/ noun
Forms shawms
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English shalmuse, from Old French chalemel (modern French chalumeau), from Late Latin calamellus, from Latin calamus (“reed”), from Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos). Doublet of caramel, chalumeau, and qalam, as well as related to calame, calamus, culm, and haulm.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A wind instrument of music, formerly in use, supposed to have resembled either the clarinet or the hautboy in form. [Written also shalm, shaum.] Otway.
Etymology [OE. shalmie, OF. chalemie; cf. F. chalumeau shawm, chaume haulm, stalk; all fr. L. calamus a reed, reed pipe. See Haulm, and cf. Calumet.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “shawm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details