Adam

See also: Appendix:Variations of "adam"

Languages (32)

English

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Albanian • Catalan • Cornish • Czech • Danish • Dutch • Ewe • French • German • Hausa • Icelandic • Italian • Kashubian • Latin • Lombard • Malay • Maltese • Middle English • Middle High German • Norwegian • Old English • Polish • Romanian • Scots • Serbo-Croatian • Slovak • Spanish • Swedish • Tok Pisin • Turkish • Walloon

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Page categories

English

Etymology

From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈæd.əm/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈæd.əm/, [ˈæɾm̩], [ˈæɾəm]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɛd.əm/
• Rhymes: -ædəm
• Homophone: atom (t-flapping)
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam (plural Adams)

2. (Abrahamism, religion) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 3:20:

     And Adam called his wiues name Eue, because she was the mother of all liuing.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 40–43:

     Say Goddeſs, what enſu'd when Raphael, / The affable Arch-angel, had forewarn'd / Adam by dire example to beware / Apoſtaſie,

4. A male given name from Hebrew.
   • 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Workshop”, in Adam Bede […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 3:

     In his tall stalwartness Adam Bede was a Saxon, and justified his name; but the jet-black hair, made the more noticeable by its contrast with the light paper cap, and the keen glance of the dark eyes that shone from under strongly marked, proninent, and mobile eyebrows, indicated a mixture of Celtic blood.

   • 1904, Mark Twain, Extracts from Adam's Diary:

     Since then I have deciphered some more of Adam’s hieroglyphics, and think he has now become sufficiently important as a public character to justify this publication.

   • 1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Boys' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 90:

     What splendid names for boys there are! / There's Carol like a rolling car, / And Martin like a flying bird, / And Adam like the Lord's First Word,

   • 2023 June 21, Haley Talbot and Kristin Wilson, “House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, a key lawmaker in Democrats’ congressional investigations into former President Donald Trump during his presidency.

5. (figuratively) Original sin or human frailty.
6. (with second or last) Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice, in Christian theology, makes possible the forgiveness of Adam's original sin.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 15:45:

     And so it is written: The first man Adam was made a liuing soule, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

   • 1739, Charles Wesley, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing:

     Second Adam from above,
     Reinstate us in thy love.

7. Designating a neoclassical style of furniture and architecture in the style of Robert and James Adam.
   • 1936, HP Lovecraft, The Haunter of the Dark:

     Inside were six-panelled doors, wide floor-boards, a curving colonial staircase, white Adam-period mantels, and a rear set of rooms three steps below the general level.

   • 2001, Norman K. Risjord, Representative Americans: The Revolutionary Generation, page 164:

     McIntyre's best pieces, such as the fireplace in the Otis house, managed to convey both an opulent warmth and a restrained elegance, and compares favorably with the artistic saturnalia of an Adam fireplace.

8. An English surname originating as a patronymic.
9. A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.
10. A French surname originating as a patronymic.
11. A German surname originating as a patronymic.

Alternative forms

• (English surname): Adams
• (Scottish surname): Adams, McAdam, McAdams, McCaw, MacAdam, MacAdams, MacCaw

Derived terms

• Adam and Eve
• Adam and Steve
• Adamesque
• Adamhood
• Adamian
• Adamic, Adamical
• Adamish
• Adamite
• Adamitism
• Adamless
• Adam-ondi-Ahman
• Adam's ale
• Adam's apple
• Adam's Bridge
• Adam's flannel
• Adam's morsel
• Adam's needle
• Adam's Peak
• Adamstown
• Adam's wine
• apple of Adam
• as old as Adam, old as Adam
• Atkin (diminutive)
• Charlton Adam
• Christmas Adam
• co-Adamite
• not know someone from Adam
• Old Adam
• pre-Adamite
• pre-Adamitism
• since Adam was a boy

Related terms

surnames

• Acheson
• Adams
• Adamson
• Adcock
• Addams
• Addey
• Addie
• Addis
• Addison
• Addy
• Addyman
• Ade
• Ades
• Adey
• Adie
• Adkin
• Adkins
• Adnett
• Adnitt
• Aicken
• Aiken
• Aikens
• Aikin
• Aikins
• Aitchison
• Aitken
• Aitkens
• Aitkin
• Aitkins
• Atcheson
• Atkin
• Atkins
• Atkinson
• Baddams
• Hadcock
• Haddy
• Keddie
• Keddy
• Kiddie
• Kiddy
• Macadam
• MacAdam
• McAdams
• McAdie
• McCaw
• McGaw
• Megaw

Descendants

• Tok Pisin: Adam

Translations

first man in Abrahamic religions

• Albanian: Adam, Adham, Adem
• Amharic: አዳም m (ʾädam)
• Arabic: آدَم (ar) m (ʔādam), ءَادَم m (ʔādam) (archaic)
• Aramaic: אדם

  Syriac: ܐܕܡ m (ʾāḏām), ܐܖܡ (archaic)

• Armenian: Ադամ (hy) (Adam)

  Old Armenian: Ադամ (Adam)

• Assamese: আদম (adom)
• Bashkir: Әҙәм (Əźəm)
• Bengali: আদম (bn) (adom)
• Bulgarian: Ада́м m (Adám)
• Burmese: အာဒန် (adan)
• Catalan: Adam (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 亞當 / 亚当 (aa³ dong¹)

  Dungan: Адан (Adan)

  Mandarin: 亞當 / 亚当 (zh) (Yǎdāng), 阿丹 (zh) (Ādān) (Islam)

• Coptic: ⲁⲇⲁⲙ (adam)
• Cornish: Adam
• Czech: Adam (cs) m
• Danish: Adam (da)
• Dutch: Adam (nl)
• Esperanto: Adamo (eo)
• Estonian: Aadam (et)
• Faroese: Ádam m
• Finnish: Aadam (fi)
• French: Adam (fr) m

  Old French: Adan, Adam

• Galician: Adán (gl)
• German: Adam (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌼 m (adam)
• Greek: Αδάμ (el) m (Adám)

  Ancient Greek: Ἀδάμ m (Adám)

• Gujarati: આદમ (ādam)
• Hausa: Adamu
• Hawaiian: ʻAdamu
• Hebrew: אָדָם (he) m (Adam)
• Hindi: आदम (hi) m (ādam)
• Hungarian: Ádám (hu)
• Icelandic: Adam (is) m
• Indonesian: Adam (id)
• Interlingua: Adam
• Irish: Ádhamh
• Italian: Adamo (it)
• Japanese: アダム (Adamu)
• Kannada: ಆದಾಮನು m (ādāmanu)
• Kazakh: Адам (kk) (Adam)
• Khmer: អ័ដាម (ʼadaam)
• Korean: 아담 (ko) (Adam)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ئادەم (adem)

  Northern Kurdish: Adem (ku)

• Latin: Ādām (la) m
• Latvian: Ādams
• Lithuanian: Adomas (lt)
• Macedonian: А́дам (mk) m (Ádam)
• Malay: Adam
• Malayalam: ആദാം (ml) (ādāṁ)
• Maltese: Adam
• Manx: Adaue m
• Maori: Ārama
• Middle English: Adam
• Norwegian: Adam (no)
• Odia: ଆଦମ (ādama)
• Old Church Slavonic: адамъ (adamŭ)
• Pashto: آدم m
• Persian: آدم (fa) (âdam)
• Polish: Adam (pl) m
• Portuguese: Adão (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਆਦਮ (pa) m (ādam)
• Rohingya: Adom
• Russian: Ада́м (ru) m (Adám)
• Scottish Gaelic: Àdhamh
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: А̀дам m

  Roman: Àdam (sh) m

• Sindhi: آدم m (ādamu)
• Sinhalese: ආදම් (si) (ādam)
• Slovak: Adam m
• Spanish: Adam (es) m, Adán (es) m
• Swahili: Adamu
• Swedish: Adam (sv)
• Sylheti: ꠀꠖꠝ (adomo)
• Tagalog: Adan (tl)
• Tamil: ஆதாம் (ta) (ātām)
• Telugu: ఆదాము (ādāmu)
• Thai: อาดัม (aa-dam)
• Tibetan: ཨ་དམ (a dam)
• Tok Pisin: Adam
• Turkish: Adem (tr)
• Urdu: آدم (ur) m (ādm)
• Uzbek: Odam
• Vietnamese: A-đam
• Walloon: Adan
• Welsh: Adda (cy) m
• Yoruba: Ádámù, Aádámọ̀
• Zazaki: Adam (diq)

male given name

• Albanian: Adam, Adham, Adem
• Arabic: آدَم (ar) m (ʔādam)
• Armenian: Ադամ (hy) (Adam)

  Old Armenian: Ադամ (Adam)

• Bulgarian: Ада́м m (Adám), А́дам m (Ádam)
• Catalan: Adam (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亞當 / 亚当 (zh) (Yǎdāng)

• Czech: Adam (cs) m
• Danish: Adam (da)
• Dutch: Adam (nl)
• Esperanto: Adamo (eo)
• Estonian: Aadu (et)
• Faroese: Ádam m
• Finnish: Aatami (fi)
• French: Adam (fr) m
• Galician: Adán (gl)
• German: Adam (de) m
• Greek: Αδάμ (el) m (Adám), Αδάμος (el) (Adámos)

  Ancient Greek: Ἀδάμ m (Adám), Ἄδαμος m (Ádamos)

• Hausa: Adamu
• Hawaiian: ʻAkamu
• Hebrew: אָדָם (he) m (Adam)
• Hungarian: Ádám (hu)
• Icelandic: Adam (is) m
• Indonesian: Adam (id)
• Ingrian: Aato
• Interlingua: Adam
• Irish: Ádhamh
• Italian: Adamo (it)
• Japanese: アダム (Adamu)
• Kashubian: Jadóm m
• Korean: 애덤 (Aedeom)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ئادەم (adem)

  Northern Kurdish: Adem (ku)

• Latin: Ādām (la) m
• Latvian: Ādams
• Lithuanian: Adomas (lt)
• Macedonian: А́дам (mk) m (Ádam)
• Malay: Adam
• Maori: Ārama
• Middle English: Adam
• Norwegian: Adam (no)
• Persian: آدم (fa) (âdam), آدام (âdâm)
• Polish: Adam (pl) m
• Portuguese: Adão (pt) m
• Russian: Ада́м (ru) m (Adám)
• Sardinian: Adàmu
• Scottish Gaelic: Àdhamh
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: А̀дам m

  Roman: Àdam (sh) m

• Sinhalese: ආදම් (si) (ādam)
• Slovak: Adam m
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian: Hadam m

• Spanish: Adán (es) m
• Swahili: Adamu
• Swedish: Adam (sv)
• Tamil: ஆடம் (ta) (āṭam)
• Thai: อาดัม (aa-dam)
• Tok Pisin: Adam
• Turkish: Adem (tr)
• Urdu: آدم (ur) m (ādm)
• Walloon: Adan
• Welsh: Adda (cy) m
• Zazaki: Adam (diq), Adam (diq)

figuratively: original sin; human frailty

• Finnish: Aatami (fi), vanha Aatami

with "last" or "second", Jesus Christ

• Finnish: Aadam (fi)
• Greek: Αδάμ (el) m (Adám)
• Middle English: Adam

designating a neoclassical style

• Finnish: Adam (fi), Adam-tyyli

surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages

• Albanian: Adami, Adhami, Ademi
• Bulgarian: Ада́мов (bg) m (Adámov)
• Finnish: Aatamila
• Thai: อาดัม (aa-dam)

See also

• Eve
• Wikipedia article on Adam and Eve
• Wikipedia article on original sin
• Edom
• Esau

Anagrams

• A.A.M.D., dama

Albanian

Etymology

From Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

Proper noun

Adam m (definite Adami)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam
2. (religion, Christianity) Adam (biblical figure)
3. (religion, Islam) Adem (“Adam”)

Declension

Declension of Adam

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	Adam	Adami	Adamë	Adamët
accusative		Adamin
dative	Adami	Adamit	Adamëve	Adamëve
ablative			Adamësh

Derived terms

• Adami m (patronym)
• Adamaj (patronym)

Related terms

• Ademi m (patronym)
• Ademaj (patronym)

Catalan

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əˈðam]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [aˈðam]

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam
2. Adam (biblical figure)

Derived terms

• adàmic
• adamita

Cornish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈædəm/

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈadam]

Proper noun

Adam m anim (diminutive Adámek or Damek or Áďa)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Adam

Declension

Declension of Adam (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	Adam	Adamové
genitive	Adama	Adamů
dative	Adamovi, Adamu	Adamům
accusative	Adama	Adamy
vocative	Adame	Adamové
locative	Adamovi, Adamu	Adamech
instrumental	Adamem	Adamy

Danish

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch Adam, from Latin Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (“Adam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.dɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Adam

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (Biblical character, mythological first man)
2. a male given name from Hebrew

Derived terms

• adamsappel
• adamskostuum

Ewe

Etymology

Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adám, “man, human being”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /á.dàm/, [á.d̪àm]

Proper noun

Ádàm

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam
2. (biblical, Abrahamism, religion) Adam

   Coordinate term: Xawa (“Eve”)

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.dɑ̃/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name; diminutive forms Adanet, Adenot, Adnet, Adnot

Derived terms

• ne connaître ni d'Ève ni d'Adam
• pomme d'Adam
• tenue d'Adam

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: A-đam

Anagrams

• dama

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Adam, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (ʾāḏām, “man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːdam/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m (proper noun, strong, genitive Adams)

1. (biblical) Adam
2. a male given name; variant form Adi

Hausa

Etymology

From Arabic آدَم (ʔādam).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔá.dàm/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [ʔá.dàŋ]

Proper noun

Adàm m

1. Adam (biblical character)

Derived terms

• ɗan Adàm

Icelandic

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam m (proper noun, genitive singular Adams)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Adam (sg-only masculine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Adam
accusative	Adam
dative	Adam
genitive	Adams

Derived terms

• adamsepli
• Adam og Eva

See also

• Eva

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “Adam”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019), Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið

Anagrams

• dama

Italian

Etymology

Alteration of MDMA.

Noun

Adam m (invariable)

1. (informal) ecstasy (drug)

Anagrams

• dama

Kashubian

Alternative forms

• Adóm, (Dialectal) Jadam

Etymology

Borrowed from Polish Adam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/
• Rhymes: -adam
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m pers (related adjective adamów or adamòwi)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Further reading

• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “Adam”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[2]

Latin

Alternative forms

• Ādāmus

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.dãː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.dam]

Proper noun

Ādām m (genitive Ādām or Ādae); indeclinable, variously declined, first declension

1. (biblical) Adam
   • 1078, Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogion seu Alloquium de Dei existentia:

     Heu! Publicus luctus hominum, universalis planctus filiorum Adae!

     Alas for the common woe of man, the universal sorrow of the children of Adam!

2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Declension

Indeclinable noun or first-declension noun (nominative/vocative singular in -ām).

	singular	plural
nominative	Ādām	Ādae
genitive	Ādām Ādae	Ādārum
dative	Ādām Ādae	Ādīs
accusative	Ādām	Ādās
ablative	Ādām Ādā	Ādīs
vocative	Ādām	Ādae

Descendants

• ⇒ Albanian: Adam
• ⇒ Dutch: Adam
• ⇒ Italian: Adamo
  • ⇒? Maltese: Adam
• → Middle High German: Adam
  • Central Franconian:
    • Hunsrik: Aadem
  • German: Adam
• → Old English: Adam (learned)
  • Middle English: Adam
    • English: Adam, Adams, Adams, McAdam, McAdams, McCaw, MacAdam, MacAdams, MacCaw
      • Tok Pisin: Adam
    • Scots: Adam
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: Adan, Adam
  • Galician: Adán
  • Portuguese: Adão
• ⇒ Old Irish: Ádam
  • Irish: Ádhamh
  • Scottish Gaelic: Àdhamh

References

• “Adam”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Adam”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Lombard

Etymology

From Latin Ādām.

Proper noun

Adam m

1. (Old Lombard) Adam (biblical character)

Descendants

• Lombard: Adamm

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic آدم.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a.dam]
• Rhymes: -dam, -am
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam (Jawi spelling ادم)

2. (Abrahamism, religion) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
3. a male given name from Arabic

Compounds

• anak Adam
• bani Adam
• cucu Adam
• kulit Adam

Further reading

• “Adam”, in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu [Malay Literary Reference Centre] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Maltese

Etymology

From Sicilian Adamu, Addamu and/or Italian Adamo, both from Latin Ādāmus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (āḏām). All religious names (though not all religious words) in Maltese are borrowings from Romance. The inherited form from Arabic آدَم (ʔādam) would be *Iedem, which is preserved in bniedem (“human being”, literally “son of Adam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdaːm/

• Audio (Gozo):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːm

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam

Derived terms

• tadama

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English Adam, from Latin Ādāmus, Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdaːm/, /ˈadam/

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (Biblical progenitor of humankind).
2. a male given name from Hebrew; Adam
3. (with newe or last) Jesus Christ.

Descendants

• English: Adam, Adams, Adams, McAdam, McAdams, McCaw, MacAdam, MacAdams, MacCaw
  • Tok Pisin: Adam
• Scots: Adam

References

• “Adā̆m, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 15 July 2019.

Middle High German

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Ādām, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name
2. (Abrahamism, biblical) Adam

Declension

Declension of Adam (strong masculine without umlaut)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	dër	Adam	die	Adame
genitive	eines	dës	Adames	dër	Adame
dative	eime	dëm	Adame	dën	Adamen
accusative	einen	dën	Adam	die	Adame

Descendants

• Central Franconian:
  • Hunsrik: Aadem
• German: Adam

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich; Müller, Wilhelm; Zarncke, Friedrich (1863), “Adam”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
• "Adam" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

Norwegian

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Old English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Ādām, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם, from א־ד־ם.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.dɑm/

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (Biblical character)

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	Adam	—
accusative	Adam	—
genitive	Adames	—
dative	Adame	—

Descendants

• Middle English: Adam
  • English: Adam, Adams, Adams, McAdam, McAdams, McCaw, MacAdam, MacAdams, MacCaw
    • Tok Pisin: Adam
  • Scots: Adam

Polish

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -adam
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m pers (diminutive Adaś)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Declension

Declension of Adam

	singular	plural
nominative	Adam	Adamowie
genitive	Adama	Adamów
dative	Adamowi	Adamom
accusative	Adama	Adamów
instrumental	Adamem	Adamami
locative	Adamie	Adamach
vocative	Adamie	Adamowie

Further reading

• Adam in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic Адамъ (Adamŭ).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m

1. a male given name
2. a surname
3. a village in Drăgușeni, Galați County, Romania

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English Adam, from Latin Ādāmus, Ādām, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám).

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)

Derived terms

• Adamite
• Adamson
• Addison

References

• “Adam, prop.n.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”). Doublet of Adem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎdam/
• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Àdam m anim (Cyrillic spelling А̀дам)

1. (biblical) Adam
2. a male given name from Hebrew

Declension

Declension of Adam

	singular
nominative	Adam
genitive	Adama
dative	Adamu
accusative	Adama
vocative	Adame
locative	Adamu
instrumental	Adamom

See also

• Adem

Further reading

• “Adam”, in Portal suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena [Portal of contemporary Croatian personal names] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2018–2025

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈadam]

Proper noun

Adam m pers

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Adam
(pattern chlap)

	singular	plural
nominative	Adam	Adamovia
genitive	Adama	Adamov
dative	Adamovi	Adamom
accusative	Adama	Adamov
locative	Adamovi	Adamoch
instrumental	Adamom	Adamami

Derived terms

• Aduš
• Ado
• Adamko
• Adko

Further reading

• “Adam”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdam/ [aˈð̞ãm]
• Rhymes: -am
• Syllabification: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m

1. archaic form of Adán (“biblical figure”)
   • 1602, La Santa Biblia (antigua versión de Casiodoro de Reina), Génesis 2:20:

     Y puso Adam nombres á toda bestia y ave de los cielos y á todoanimal del campo.

     And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; […] (KJV)

Swedish

Etymology

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

Adam

1. The letter "A" in the Swedish spelling alphabet

Proper noun

Adam c (genitive Adams)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. a male given name; diminutive form Adde

References

• Adam in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English Adam.

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 2:20:

     Tasol i no gat wanpela bilong ol dispela samting inap i stap poroman bilong helpim Adam.

     →New International Version translation

Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic آدَم (ʔādam).

Proper noun

Adam

1. a male given name from Arabic, less common variant of Adem

Walloon

Alternative forms

• Adan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ˈdam/

Proper noun

Adam

1. (biblical) Adam
2. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam