Adam

See also: adam, adām, ādām, Ádam, Âdam, Ádám, and A'dam

English

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.dəm/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): [ˈæɾm̩], [ˈæɾəm]

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Homophone: atom (accents with flapping)

Proper noun

Adam (plural Adams)

1. (Abrahamic religions) The first man and the progenitor of the human race.
   • 1611 — King James Version of the Bible, Genesis 3:20

     And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

   • 1667 — John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book VII

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

2. A male given name.
   • 1859 — George Eliot, Adam Bede, ch 1

     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, prominent 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, Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber 1933, page 90 ("Boys' Names")

     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,

3. (figuratively) Original sin or human frailty.
4. (with second or last) Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice, in Christian theology, makes possible the forgiveness of Adam's original sin.
   • 1611 — King James Version of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:45

     And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; 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.

5. 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.

6. A patronymic surname​.

Derived terms

terms derived from Adam

• Adam and Eve
• Adamesque
• Adamhood
• Adamic, Adamical
• Adamish
• Adamite
• Adamitism
• Adam's ale
• Adam's Bridge
• Adam's apple
• Adam's flannel
• Adam's morsel

• Adam's needle
• Adam's Peak
• Adam's wine
• apple of Adam
• Atkin (diminutive)
• as old as Adam, old as 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
• McAdams
• McAdie
• McCaw
• McGaw
• Megaw

Translations

first man in Abrahamic religions

• Arabic: آدَم‎‎ (ar) m (ʾādam)
• Aramaic:

  Syriac: ܐܕܡ‎‎

• Armenian: Ադամ (hy) (Adam)

  Old Armenian: Ադամ (Adam)

• Bashkir: Әҙәм (Äðäm)
• Catalan: Adam (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 亞當, 亚当 (aa³ dong¹)

  Mandarin: 亞當 (zh), 亚当 (zh) (Yǎdāng), 阿丹 (zh) (ādān)

• Cornish: Adam
• Czech: Adam (cs)
• 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
• Greek: Αδάμ (el) m (Adám)

  Ancient: Ἀδάμ m (Adám)

• Hausa: Adamu
• Hawaiian: ʻAdamu
• Hebrew: אָדָם‎‎ (he) m (Adam)
• Hungarian: Ádám (hu)
• Icelandic: Adam (is) m
• Indonesian: Adam (id)
• Interlingua: Adam
• Irish: Ádhamh
• Italian: Adamo (it)

• Japanese: アダム (Adamu)
• Korean: 아담 (ko) (Adam)
• Kurdish:

  Kurmanji: Adem (ku)

  Sorani: ئاده‌م‎‎ (ku)

• Latin: Adam (la)
• Latvian: Ādams
• Lithuanian: Adomas (lt)
• Malay: Adam
• Maltese: Adam
• Manx: Adaue m
• Maori: Ārama
• Norwegian: Adam (no)
• Persian: آدم‎‎ (fa) (Âdam)
• Polish: Adam (pl) m
• Portuguese: Adão (pt)
• Russian: Ада́м (ru) m (Adám)
• Scottish Gaelic: Adhamh
• Serbo-Croatian: Адам m, Adam (sh) m
• Sinhalese: ආදම් (si) (ādam)
• Slovak: Adam m
• Spanish: Adam (es), Adán (es)
• Swahili: Adamu
• Swedish: Adam (sv)
• Tagalog: Adan (tl)
• Tamil: ஆதாம் (ta) (ātām)
• Thai: อาดัม (aa-dam)
• Tibetan: ཨ་དམ། (a dam)
• Tok Pisin: Adam
• Turkish: Adem (tr)
• Walloon: Adan (wa)
• Welsh: Adda (cy) m
• Zazaki: Adam

male given name

• Arabic: آدَم‎‎ (ar) m (ʾādam)
• Armenian: Ադամ (hy) (Adam)

  Old Armenian: Ադամ (Adam)

• Catalan: Adam (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亞當 (zh), 亚当 (zh) (Yǎdāng)

• Czech: Adam (cs)
• 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)

  Koine: Άδάμ (Adám)

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

• Korean: 애덤 (Aedeom)
• Kurdish:

  Kurmanji: Adem (ku)

  Sorani: ئاده‌م‎‎ (ku)

• Latin: Adam (la)
• Latvian: Ādams
• Lithuanian: Adomas (lt)
• Malay: Adam
• Maori: Ārama
• Norwegian: Adam (no)
• Persian: آدم‎‎ (fa) (Âdam), آدام‎‎ (Âdâm)
• Polish: Adam (pl) m
• Portuguese: Adão (pt)
• Russian: Ада́м (ru) m (Adám)
• Scottish Gaelic: Adhamh
• Serbo-Croatian: Адам m, Adam (sh) m
• Sinhalese: ආදම් (si) (ādam)
• Slovak: Adam m
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian: Hadam m

• Spanish: Adán (es)
• Swahili: Adamu
• Swedish: Adam (sv)
• Thai: อาดัม (aa-dam)
• Tok Pisin: Adam
• Turkish: Adem (tr)
• Walloon: Adan (wa)
• Zazaki: Adam, Adam

figuratively: original sin; human frailty

• Finnish: Aatami (fi), vanha Aatami

with "last" or "second", Jesus Christ

• Finnish: Aadam (fi)

• Greek: Αδάμ (el) m (Adám)

designating a neoclassical style

• Finnish: Adam (fi), Adam-tyyli

surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages

• Finnish: Aatamila

See also

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

Anagrams

• A.A.M.D., dama

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Catalan

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /əˈdam/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /aˈdam/

Proper noun

Adam m

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

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Cornish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈædəm/

Proper noun

Adam

1. Adam (biblical figure)

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Czech

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam m

1. A male given name, cognate to Adam.

Related terms

• Pet forms: Adámek, Damek, Áďa

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Danish

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam

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

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch Adam, from Latin Ādām, from Hebrew אָדָם‎‎ (“Adam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.dɑm/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: A‧dam

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (Biblical character, mythological first man)
2. A male given name.

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Ewe

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam

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

See also

• Xawa

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French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.dɑ̃/

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam

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

Related terms

• pet forms: Adanet, Adenot, Adnet, Adnot

Anagrams

• dama

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German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. A male given name. Pet form: Adi

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Icelandic

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam m (genitive singular Adams, no plural)

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

Derived terms

• adamsepli
• Adam og Eva

See also

• Eva

Anagrams

• dama

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Italian

Etymology

Alteration of MDMA

Noun

Adam m (invariable)

1. (informal) ecstasy (drug)

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Latin

Alternative forms

• Ādāmus

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈaː.daːm/
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/, [ˈaː.dam]

Proper noun

Ādām m (indeclinable)
Ādām m (genitive Ādae); first declension

1. Adam (Biblical character)

Inflection

First declension, nominative/vocative singular in -ām.

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	Ādām	Ādae
genitive	Ādae	Ādārum
dative	Ādae	Ādīs
accusative	Ādām	Ādās
ablative	Ādām Ādā	Ādīs
vocative	Ādām	Ādae

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

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Norwegian

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam

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

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Polish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Adam m pers (diminutive Adaś)

1. A male given name

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

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

Àdam m (Cyrillic spelling А̀дам)

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

Declension

Declension of Adam

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

See also

• Adem

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Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.dam/

Proper noun

Adam m (genitive Adama, nominative plural Adamovia) declension pattern chlap

1. A male given name.

Declension

Declension of Adam

	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 Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdam/, [aˈðãm]

Proper noun

Adam m

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

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

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Swedish

Etymology

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

Proper noun

Adam c (genitive Adams)

1. Adam (biblical figure)
2. A male given name. Pet form: Adde.

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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, 2:20:

This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

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Turkish

Proper noun

Adam

1. A male given name