'almsfolk' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'ælmesse,' where 'ælmesse' meant 'charity or alms.'

'ælmesse' transformed into the Middle English word 'almes,' and eventually became the modern English word 'alms' combined with 'folk' to form 'almsfolk.'

Initially, it meant 'charity receivers,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.