English Online Dictionary. What means ham? What does ham mean?
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm (“inner or hind part of the knee, ham”), from Proto-Germanic *hamō, *hammō, *hanmō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”). Cognate with Dutch ham (“ham”), dialectal German Hamme (“hind part of the knee, ham”), dialectal Swedish ham (“the hind part of the knee”), Icelandic höm (“the ham or haunch of a horse”), Old Irish cnáim (“bone”), Ancient Greek κνήμη (knḗmē, “shinbone”). Compare gammon.
Pronunciation
- enPR: hăm, IPA(key): /ˈhæm/
- (Southern England, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈhæːm/
- Rhymes: -æm
Noun
ham (countable and uncountable, plural hams)
- (anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.
- (countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.
- (uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.
- The back of the thigh.
- (Internet, informal, uncommon) Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.
- Synonym: ham e-mail
- Antonym: spam
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
From Old English hām.
Noun
ham (uncountable)
- Obsolete form of home.
Usage notes
- Persists in many old place names, such as Buckingham.
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “ham”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Etymology 3
Uncertain, though it is generally agreed upon that it first appeared in print around the 1880s. At least four theories persist:
- It came naturally from the word amateur. Deemed likely by Hendrickson (1997), but then the question would be why it took so long to pop up. He rejects the folk etymology of Cockney slang hamateur because it originated in American English.
- From the play Hamlet, where the title character was often played poorly and/or in an exaggerated manner. Also deemed likely by Hendrickson, though he raises the issue that the term would have likely been around earlier if this were case.
- From the minstrel's practice of using ham fat to remove heavy black makeup used during performances.
- Shortened from hamfatter (“inferior actor”), said to derive from the 1863 minstrel show song The Ham-fat Man. William and Mary Morris (1988) argue that it's not known whether the song inspired the term or the term inspired the song, but that they believe the latter is the case.
Noun
ham (plural hams)
- (acting) An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.
- Synonyms: hambone, hamfatter, overactor, tear-cat
- (radio) An amateur radio operator.
- Synonym: radio amateur
Derived terms
- ham-fisted
- ham radio
Translations
Verb
ham (third-person singular simple present hams, present participle hamming, simple past and past participle hammed)
- (acting) To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.
Synonyms
- chew the scenery, ham it up, melodramatize, overact, tear a cat
Translations
See also
- go ham
References
Anagrams
- HMA, MHA, Mah, mah
Afrikaans
Etymology
From Dutch ham, from Middle Dutch hamme, from Old Dutch [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *hammō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɦam/
- Hyphenation: ham
Noun
ham (plural hamme, diminutive hammetjie)
- ham (cured pork from the thigh of a swine)
Caribbean Hindustani
Etymology
Compare Hindi हम (ham, “we”).
Pronoun
ham
- I
References
- Beknopt Nederland-Sarnami Woordenboek met Sarnami Hindoestani-Nederlanse Woordenlijst[2] (in Dutch), Paramaribo: Instituut voor Taalwetenschap, 2002
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin hamus.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈam/
Noun
ham m (plural hams)
- fishhook
Derived terms
- tallahams
Further reading
- “ham” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Cebuano
Etymology
From English ham, from Middle English hamme, from Old English hamm (“inner or hind part of the knee, ham”), from Proto-Germanic *hamō, *hammō, *hanmō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).
Noun
ham
- ham; meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food
Chamorro
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kami, from Proto-Austronesian *kami. Cognates include Indonesian kami and Tagalog kami.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hæm/
Pronoun
ham
- we, us (exclusive)
Usage notes
- ham is used either as a subject of an intransitive verb or as an object of a transitive verb, while in is used as a subject of a transitive verb.
- I lahi ha sangani ham. ― The man told us.
- In transitive clauses with an indefinite object, ham can be used as a subject.
See also
References
- Donald M. Topping (1973) Chamorro Reference Grammar[3], Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Danish
Etymology 1
From Old Norse hamr, Proto-Germanic *hamaz, *hamô.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhɑmˀ/, [ˈhɑ̈mˀ]
Noun
ham c (singular definite hammen, plural indefinite hamme)
- slough, skin
Declension
Derived terms
- dyreham
- fjederham
- fugleham
- hamskifte, hamskifter
- slangeham
- snogeham
- svaneham
Etymology 2
Older hannem, from Old Norse hǫnum, the dative of hann (“he”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑm/, [hɑ̈m]
Pronoun
ham
- (personal) him: objective of han
See also
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch hamme, from Old Dutch *hama, from Proto-Germanic *hammō, from Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m (“leg”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɦɑm/
- Hyphenation: ham
- Rhymes: -ɑm
- Homophone: Ham
Noun
ham f (plural hammen, diminutive hammetje n)
- ham (cured pork from the thigh of a swine)
Derived terms
- beenham
- schouderham
- hamvraag
Descendants
- → Papiamentu: ham
Fiji Hindi
Etymology
From Hindi हम (ham, “we, I”).
Pronoun
ham
- I (1st person singular personal pronoun)
Fyer
Etymology
Related to Gerka ram (“water”).
Noun
ham
- water
References
- Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
- Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
- […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ron *ham [GT]: Fyer & Bks. & DB & Sha ham, Klr. ˀaàm […]
- Václav Blažek, A Lexicostatistical comparison of Omotic languages, in In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology, page 122
German
Etymology
A pronunciation spelling of haben.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ham/
Verb
ham
- (colloquial) Contraction of haben
- Wir ham grad gefrühstückt. ― We've just had breakfast.
Usage notes
Usually used in the present or to form the perfect, though it may be seen in the infinitive as well. See also the note at haben.
Irish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [haːmˠ], [hamˠ]
Noun
ham m
- h-prothesized form of am
Laz
Pronoun
ham
- Latin spelling of ჰამ (ham)
Middle English
Etymology 1
Inherited from Old English ham, hamm (“enclosure”), from Proto-West Germanic *hamm, from Proto-Germanic *hammaz.
Alternative forms
- hamme
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ham/
Noun
ham (plural hammes)
- An enclosed pasture.
References
- “hamme, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-04.
Etymology 2
Noun
ham (plural hames)
- Alternative form of hamme (“back of the knee”)
Etymology 3
Pronoun
ham
- Alternative form of hem (“them”)
Etymology 4
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑːm/
Noun
ham (plural hamen or hames)
- (Early Middle English, Northern) Alternative form of hom (“home”)
Middle French
Noun
ham m (plural hams)
- village
Montol
Etymology
Related to Mwaghavul am (“water”).
Noun
hàm
- water
References
- Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
- […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Tal hàm [Jng./JI], Mnt. hàm "Wasser" [Jng. 1965, 171], […]
North Frisian
Pronoun
ham
- him third-person singular, masculine, objective
- it third-person singular, neuter, objective
Alternative forms
- höm (Sylt)
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Old Norse hann.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑm/
Pronoun
ham
- him
See also
Etymology 2
From Old Norse hamr.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑːm/
Noun
ham m (definite singular hammen, indefinite plural hammer, definite plural hammene)
- skin or slough (discarded skin of certain animals)
Derived terms
- hamlet
- hamskifte
References
- “ham” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “ham_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
- “ham_2” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norse hamr.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑːm/
Noun
ham m (definite singular hamen, indefinite plural hamar, definite plural hamane)
- skin or slough (discarded skin of certain animals)
Derived terms
- hamlet
- hamskifte
References
- “ham” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old English
Etymology 1
From Proto-West Germanic *haim, from Proto-Germanic *haimaz.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xɑːm/, [hɑːm]
Noun
hām m
- home
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Assumption of St. John the Apostle"
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Assumption of St. John the Apostle"
- property, estate, farm
- village; community
Usage notes
- In early Old English, the dative singular was always hām, not the expected form hāme.
Declension
Derived terms
- hāmlēas
Adverb
hām
- home, homeward
- hām gān ― to go home
- hām cuman ― to come home
- hām ċierran ― to turn home
- hām bringan ― to bring home
Descendants
- Middle English: hom, hoom, home, hoome, whom, om, am; hame; ham
- English: home, -ham (partially)
- Northumbrian: hyem
- Scots: hame
- Yola: hime, hyme, haime
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *hammaz. Cognate with Old Frisian ham, Middle Low German hamme (Low Low German Hamm).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]
Noun
ham m
- Alternative form of hamm (“enclosure”)
Etymology 3
From Proto-Germanic *hammō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]
Noun
ham f
- Alternative form of hamm (“inner knee”)
Etymology 4
From Proto-West Germanic *ham, from Proto-Germanic *hamaz (“covering”). Cognate with Old Norse hamr.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xɑm/, [hɑm]
Noun
ham m
- covering
- garment, dress, gown; shirt
Declension
Related terms
- hama
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Frankish *haim (“home, village”).
Noun
ham m (oblique plural hans, nominative singular hans, nominative plural ham)
- village
Descendants
- Walloon: hamea, amia, hamia
- Walloon: hamtea, hametê, hamtia, amtia
- ⇒ Old French: hamel
- Middle French: hamel
- French: hameau
- Walloon: hamô
- → Middle English: hamel
- ⇒ Old French: hamelet, hamlet
- Middle French: hamelet
- → Middle English: hamelet, hamlet
- English: hamlet
- Early Scots: hamillet, hamlet, hamelat, hamelet
- Middle French: hamel
Old Frisian
Alternative forms
- hēm
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *haim. Cognates include Old English hām and Old Saxon hēm.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhaːm/
Noun
hām m
- home
Descendants
- North Frisian: hamm
- Saterland Frisian: Heem
- West Frisian: hiem
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 28
Old Norse
Noun
ham
- accusative/dative singular of hamr
Rohingya
Noun
ham
- work
Derived terms
- hammwa
- kuham
Romanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ham/
- Rhymes: -am
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Hungarian hám.
Noun
ham n (plural hamuri)
- harness
Declension
Derived terms
- înhăma
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic.
Interjection
ham!
- woof, the sound a barking dog makes
See also
- hau
Ron
Etymology
Related to Gerka ram (“water”).
Noun
ham
- (most dialects, including Mangar, Bokkos, Daffo-Butura, Shagawu) water
Synonyms
- àyîn (Monguna)
References
- Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
- Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
- […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ron *ham [GT]: Fyer & Bks. & DB & Sha ham, Klr. ˀaàm […]
Serbo-Croatian
Alternative forms
- ȃm
Etymology
A loan from Hungarian hám.
Noun
hȃm m (Cyrillic spelling ха̑м)
- harness
Sha
Etymology
Related to Gerka ram (“water”).
Noun
ham
- water
References
- Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
Tal
Etymology
Related to Mwaghavul am (“water”).
Noun
hàm
- water
References
- Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
- […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Tal hàm [Jng./JI], Mnt. hàm "Wasser" [Jng. 1965, 171], […]
Tambas
Etymology
Related to Gerka ram (“water”).
Noun
ham
- water
References
- Roger Blench, Ron Comparative Wordlist
Turkish
Etymology
From Persian خام (xâm).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hɑm/
Adjective
ham
- raw
Vietnamese
Etymology
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [haːm˧˧]
Adjective
ham • (𫺧, 𫻎)
- greedy
- eager; keen
Derived terms
See also
- mải
West Frisian
Etymology
Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hammō. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Noun
ham c (plural hammen, diminutive hamke)
- ham
Further reading
- “ham (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
Yola
Alternative forms
- him, em
Etymology
From Middle English him, from Old English him.
Pronoun
ham
- him
Derived terms
- w'eeme
References
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 36