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Alm

Alm is a term with multiple meanings in German-speaking regions of Europe. The most common meaning refers to an alpine pasture in the Alps, where cattle and other livestock are grazed during the summer. An Alm is typically located above the treeline and may include shepherds' huts, barns, and seasonal farms. The seasonal movement of livestock to and from such pastures is part of the traditional practice of transhumance, and in some areas the cattle drive down in autumn is celebrated as Almabtrieb.

Geographically, the word is also used in place names. Many places in Austria, southern Germany, and Switzerland

Beyond its geographic use, Alm is a surname and appears in organizational abbreviations. As a surname, Alm

The term is therefore polysemous, with its primary sense rooted in pastoral alpine landscapes, while also functioning

bear
the
name
Alm,
reflecting
historic
pasture
lands.
In
such
cases,
Alm
may
denote
a
village,
municipality,
or
locality
associated
with
pastoral
land.
is
found
in
Germanic
and
Nordic
regions.
As
an
acronym,
ALM
commonly
stands
for
Application
Lifecycle
Management
in
software
development
and
Asset-Liability
Management
in
finance,
and
is
used
in
business,
engineering,
and
IT
contexts.
as
a
toponym,
surname,
and
technical
acronym.