Wams

German

Alternative forms

• Wammes (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German wambes, wambeis, from Old French wambais, from Medieval Latin wambāsium, bambāsium. This is predominantly considered a derivative of Frankish *wamba, from Proto-Germanic *wambō (“belly, womb”), making Wams a doublet of Wamme (“dewlap”) and Wampe (“potbelly, paunch”). Alternative etymology derives it from Latin bambax (“coton”), from Ancient Greek πάμβαξ (pámbax), in which case, however, the Romance w- is difficult to explain. More at gambeson.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vams/, [vams], [ʋams], [-amps]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Wams n (strong, genitive Wamses, plural Wämser, diminutive Wämschen n)

1. (historical) jerkin, doublet

Usage notes

• In obsolete usage this could also be masculine, especially in northern and central Germany, with plural Wämse.

Declension

Declension of Wams [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Wams	die	Wämser
genitive	eines	des	Wamses	der	Wämser
dative	einem	dem	Wams, Wamse1	den	Wämsern
accusative	ein	das	Wams	die	Wämser

¹Now rare, see notes.

Descendants

• → Saterland Frisian: Wams

References

• “Wams” in Duden online
• “Wams” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.