## Etymology
The 'quantity of paper' sense is from Middle English reme, via Old French and Spanish from Arabic rizma ('bale, bundle'). The 'enlarge a hole' sense is of obscure origin, perhaps related to Old English ryman ('to widen').

## AI Etymology
Ream has a divided etymological history: The 'quantity of paper' sense is from Middle English reme, via Old French and Spanish from Arabic rizma ('bale, bundle'). The 'enlarge a hole' sense is of obscure origin, perhaps related to Old English ryman ('to widen'). The historical chain includes Arabic rizma. Older glosses in the chain include "quantity of paper", "bale, bundle", "enlarge a hole", and "to widen", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, ream is best read as borrowing and uncertain formation, yielding an English noun and verb shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a noun and verb, with the sense "a quantity of paper (typically 500 sheets); to enlarge a hole by reaming". English derivatives include reamer. The result is an English noun and verb whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

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- Numbers & Quantity

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