kam

Clipping of English Kamba.

kam

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Kamba.

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Kamba terms

From Welsh cam (“bent, crooked, distorted”), from Middle Welsh cam, from Old Welsh cam, from Proto-Brythonic *kam, from Proto-Celtic *kambos.

Cognate with Scottish Gaelic cam, Irish cam, French camus (“flat-nosed”) and more distantly Ancient Greek σκαμβός (skambós, “crooked, bent, bow-legged”). Doublet of camous.

kam (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Crooked, awry.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 17, column 1:

     [Agrippa] Mene[nius Lanatus]. […] And what is left, to looſe it by his Countrey, / Were to vs all that doo’t, and ſuffer it / A brand to th’end a’th World. / [Lucius] Sicin[ius Vellutus]. This is cleane kamme. / [Junius] Brut[us]. Meerely awry: / When he did loue his Country, it honour’d him.

• “cam, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

• AMK, KMA, Mak, ma'k, mak

• IPA^(key): /ˈkam/

kam class I gender m

1. my maternal uncle; used by the speaker to address their mother's brother

• Lock, Arnold Hugo. 2011. Abau Grammar. Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages 57. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: SIL-PNG Academic Publications. Available online.
  • Table 12: Vowel harmony in the suffixation of kinship terms, p.29

From Dutch kam.

• Audio:

  (file)

kam (plural kamme)

1. comb

• IPA^(key): /kám/

kam (Kana spelling カㇺ)

1. flesh, meat

   unma kam hure.

   Horse meat is red.

• kôm, kâm — most Gheg dialects
• kêm — southern Gheg, Kavajë

Suppletive. The present, imperfect, and subjunctive are from Proto-Albanian *kapmi, from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, to grasp”), cognate with Latin capiō (“take, seize”) and Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to have, to hold”) (whence English have, German haben (“to have”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (haban, “to have”)). The other tenses and participle are from Proto-Albanian *pat(i)-, from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“owner, master, host, husband”), cognate with Latin potis (“able, capable”), Ancient Greek πόσις (pósis), Sanskrit पति (páti).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /kam/ (Standard)
• (Tosk) IPA^(key): [kam]
• (Gheg) IPA^(key): [käm]
  • IPA^(key): [kɔm], [kɒm], [kɑm] (most Gheg dialects)
  • IPA^(key): [kɛ̃m] (Southern Gheg, Kavajë)
• Rhymes: -am

kam (aorist pata, participle pasur)

1. to have
2. (impersonal, third person) there is

• active voice

• çka
• kap

• kan, tam

Inherited from Romani kham.

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʰæm], [ˈcæm]

kam

1. sun

• “kam”, in Angloromani Dictionary‎^[1], The Manchester Romani Project, 2004-2006, archived from the original on 26 November 2021, page 141

Borrowed from Classical Persian کام.

• IPA^(key): [cam], [t͡ʃɑm]

kam (definite accusative kamı, plural kamlar)

1. wish, desire

   Synonyms: arzu, dilək, istək

2. pleasure

   Synonyms: ləzzət, zövq

• “kam” in Obastan.com.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “related to 尷? related to English kam?”)

kam (Cantonese)

1. (of people) cringe; weird; awkward

   kam撚 [Cantonese]  ―  kem⁵ lan² [Jyutping]  ―  cringe person

2. (of event or action) cringe; embarrassing
3. difficult to deal with; tough

Onomatopoeic.

kam

1. (Cantonese) to clear one's throat

• kem, 鉗 / 钳 (qián)

kam

1. alternative form of camp

Inherited from Old Czech kam(o), from Proto-Slavic *kamo.

• IPA^(key): [ˈkam]

• Audio:

  (file)

kam

1. where, whither (to what place)

   Antonym: odkud

• “kam”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “kam”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “kam”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

From Old Norse kambr, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz, Norwegian, Swedish kam, English comb, German Kamm. The Germanic noun goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth, peg”), which is also the source of Sanskrit: जम्भः (jámbhaḥ, “tooth”), Ancient Greek γόμφος (gómphos, “peg”), Polish ząb (“tooth”).

kam c (singular definite kammen, plural indefinite kamme)

1. comb
2. crest (of an animal)
3. loin, back (of a butchered animal)
4. ridge (of a mountain)

• “kam” in Den Danske Ordbog

• IPA^(key): /kɑm/
• Rhymes: -ɑm

• Audio:

  (file)

From Middle Dutch kamp, from Old Dutch *kamb, from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth; row of teeth”).

kam m (plural kammen, diminutive kammetje n)

1. a comb, utensil to groom hair, fur etc.
2. (by extension) a ridge or comb-like structure

   De kam van de berg is bedekt met sneeuw. ― The ridge of the mountain is covered in snow.

3. (technical) a cam
4. a bridge (e.g. of a violin)

• Afrikaans: kam
• Berbice Creole Dutch: kam
• Negerhollands: kam
• Skepi Creole Dutch: kam
• → English: cam
  • → Welsh: cam
• → French: came
  • → Romanian: camă
• → Italian: camma
• → Sranan Tongo: kankan, kam, kamm
  • → Aukan: kankan
  • → Saramaccan: kán

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

kam

1. inflection of kammen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

• mak

Borrowed from Assamese কাম (kam).

kam

1. work

• kam ka·a

• IPA^(key): [kaːm]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

kam

1. first/third-person singular preterite of kommen

• IPA^(key): /kám/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [kám]

kam

1. firmly, tightly
2. adamant, insistent

• kam-kam

Borrowed from Latin quam. The initial qu was changed to k so as not to cause confusion with the word with quan.

• IPA^(key): /kam/

kam

1. than, as, to (in comparison)

   La karno esas plu fresha kam la fisho. ― The meat is fresher than the fish.

   Co esas tam utila kam to. ― This one is as useful as that one.

• tam

• kamiéń, kamiń

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kàmy.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkam/
• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: kam

kam m inan

1. stone (piece of rock that has been separated)

• Stefan Ramułt (1893), “kam”, in Słownik języka pomorskiego czyli kaszubskiego (in Kashubian), page 66
• Sychta, Bernard (1968), “kam”, in Słownik gwar kaszubskich [Dictionary of Kashubian dialects] (in Polish), volumes 2 (H – L), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 125
• Jan Trepczyk (1994), “kamień”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2
• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “kamień”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[2]
• “kam”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

kam

1. dative of kas

Compare Polish czemu, with similar semantic development.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑ̂ːm/

kám

1. dative of kas
2. (derogatory, interrogative) why, for what reason, what's the reason

   Synonyms: kodėl, dėl ko

   Õ kám táu tõ rei̇̃kia? ― And what do you need this for?

From Armenian կամ (kam).^[1][2]

kam ?^[3]

1. threshing sledge, threshing board

   Synonyms: cencer, patoz

From Old Norse kambr.

kam m (definite singular kammen, indefinite plural kammer, definite plural kammene)

1. a comb

• fjellkam
• kamaksel
• åskam

• “kam” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse kambr. Akin to English comb.

• IPA^(key): /kɑmː/

kam m (definite singular kammen, indefinite plural kammar, definite plural kammane)

1. a comb

• bjørnekam
• fjellkam
• kamaksel
• lusekam
• åskam

• “kam” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Borrowed from Urdu کم (kam), from Persian کم (kam).

• IPA^(key): /kam/

kam (invariable, Perso-Arabic spelling کم)

1. less
2. inferior

• Henrik Liljegren; Naseem Haider (2011), “kam”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Possibly related to Proto-Yeniseian *qapʰ (“boat made of birchbark”), but not listed by any etymological sources on Yeniseian languages.^[1][2]

• IPA^(key): /kam/

kam (plural unknown)

1. a water vessel made of birchbark, glossed as "Túes" by Gerhard F. Müller

• Портфель Миллера in Russian state archives, folio 199.
• Werner, Heinrich K. (2005), Die Jenissej-Sprachen des 18. Jahrhunderts (in German), Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz KG, →ISBN, page 183

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kamy.

• IPA^(key): /kâːm/

kȃm m inan (Cyrillic spelling ка̑м)

1. (poetic) stone, rock

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kamo.

kam (Cyrillic spelling кам)

1. (Kajkavian) where (to), in which direction, whither

   Synonym: kamo

   Synonym: kud

   Synonym: kuda

• kamë, kamjeń

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kàmy.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkam/
• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: kam

kam m inan

1. stone (piece of rock that has been separated)

• Lorentz, Friedrich (1908), “ką̃m”, in Slovinzisches Wörterbuch‎^[4] (in German), volume 1, Saint Petersburg: ОРЯС ИАН, page 429

kam

1. romanization of 𒄰 (kam)

From Old Swedish kamber, from Old Norse kambr,^[1] cognate with Danish kam^[1] and Dutch kam.

That in turn derived from Proto-Germanic *kambaz, whence also Old English camb (English comb), Old High German kamb (German Kamm).^[1] Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth (animate)”),^[1] whence also Ancient Greek γόμφος (gómphos, “peg”),^[1] Lithuanian žam̃bas, Old Church Slavonic зѫбъ (zǫbŭ, “tooth”), Russian зуб (zub, “tooth”).

• IPA^(key): /kam/, [kʰam]

kam c

1. a comb for grooming hair
2. a comb, a fleshy growth on the top of the head of some birds and reptiles
3. a crest, summit of a hill or mountain ridge
4. a crest, ridge of a wave
5. a cam, a part of an engine

• bergskam (mountain ridge)
• vågkam (wave ridge)

• kamma

• mak

Cognate with Persian کم (kam).

kam

1. a few, a little

From English come.

kam

1. come
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:2:

     Tudak i karamapim bikpela wara na spirit bilong God i go i kam antap long en.

     →New International Version translation

Learned borrowing from Proto-Turkic *kām (“sorcerer, soothsayer, magician”)^[1].

• IPA^(key): /ˈkam/

kam (definite accusative kamı, plural kamlar)

1. synonym of şaman (“shaman”)

• “kam”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “kam”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “kam1”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 3, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 2365

• IPA^(key): /ka˩̰/

kam

1. to be willing, agreeable

   Kuv kam thiab. ― I'm willing.

   Kuv tsis kam mus. ― I won't go.

kam

1. accustomed to

   Noj mov tsi kam. ― Unaccustomed to eating rice.

   Nws sau ntawv tsis kam. ― He isn't accustomed to writing.

kam (classifier: tus)

1. business, affairs

   Koj muaj kam dab tsi? ― What is your business? What do you want?

   kam teb chaws ― national affairs; national politics

• Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979), White Hmong — English Dictionary‎^[5], SEAP Publications, →ISBN, page 75.

kam

1. you (plural)

• kom

• IPA^(key): /cam/

kam

1. who

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kam. Cognate with Mizo kám.

• IPA^(key): [kʌ̄m]
• Hyphenation: kam

kam

1. mouth

• Philip Thangliènmâng (2010), Minimal dictionary and Self-tutor Functional Grammar in Zo-English-Hindi, New Delhi: Zoculsin, →ISBN, page 19
• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013), A Descriptive Grammar of Zou (PhD thesis), Canchipur: Manipur University, page 47