psalm
C1Formal, Literary, Religious
Definition
Meaning
A sacred song or hymn, particularly one from the Book of Psalms in the Bible.
Any song or poem expressing praise, devotion, or lament, often with a religious or solemn character; also refers to the specific collection of 150 such songs in the Old Testament.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is strongly associated with Judeo-Christian religious tradition. It implies a composition intended for worship or spiritual reflection, often with musical accompaniment. The secular use is rare and typically poetic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Pronunciation differences are minimal (see IPA).
Connotations
Identical connotations of religious reverence and tradition in both varieties.
Frequency
Frequency is similar, confined primarily to religious, literary, or academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB + psalm (sing/read/recite/compose) + psalmADJ + psalm (biblical/sacred/penitential/joyful) + psalmVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated with the word 'psalm' itself.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare, except possibly in the context of a company with a religious mission.
Academic
Used in theology, religious studies, musicology, and literature departments when discussing biblical texts or liturgical music.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation unless within a religious community or discussing a specific event (e.g., a funeral psalm).
Technical
Specific usage in music (Gregorian chant, psalm tones), liturgy (responsorial psalm), and biblical scholarship.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The choir will psalm the verses during the evensong service.
American English
- The congregation psalmed the hymn with great feeling.
adjective
British English
- The psalm-like quality of the poem gave it a solemn tone.
American English
- He wrote in a psalmic style, full of praise and lament.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We sang a psalm in church.
- The priest read a psalm from the Old Testament.
- The composer based his new choral work on a penitential psalm.
- Her analysis explored the juxtaposition of lament and praise within the psalm's structure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: The 'PS' in 'psalm' is silent, like the 'P' in a peaceful, silent prayer. It's a 'salm' (sounds like 'calm') song.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEVOTION/LOVE IS A SONG (e.g., 'a psalm of love for his country').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'псалом' (psalom) – it's a direct cognate, but the silent 'p' in English pronunciation is a common pitfall.
- The English word has no relation to Russian 'сало' (salo, lard).
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing the initial 'p' (/p/).
- Misspelling as 'salm' or 'psalm'.
- Using it as a general synonym for any song.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'psalm' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes from the Greek 'psalmos', where the 'ps' combination was pronounced. In English, we dropped the /p/ sound from such Greek borrowings (e.g., psychology, pneumatic).
Yes, but it is rare and highly formal or archaic. It means 'to sing or write psalms'.
A psalm is specifically a biblical song from the Book of Psalms, while a hymn is a religious song of praise, which may be based on a psalm or be of more recent composition.
Nearly. 'Psalms' is pronounced /sɑːmz/ (UK) or /sɑːmz/ /sɑlmz/ (US), simply adding a /z/ sound for the plural 's'.