kam

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kam"

Languages (33)

Translingual • English

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Abau • Afrikaans • Ainu • Albanian • Angloromani • Azerbaijani • Chinese • Czech • Danish • Dutch • Garo • German • Hausa • Ido • Kashubian • Latvian • Lithuanian • Northern Kurdish • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Phalura • Pumpokol • Serbo-Croatian • Slovincian • Sumerian • Swedish • Talysh • Tok Pisin • White Hmong • Yogad • Zazaki

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Kamba.

Symbol

kam

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

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Kamba terms

English

Etymology

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.

Adjective

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.

References

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

Anagrams

• AMK, KMA, Mak, ma'k, mak

Abau

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkam/

Noun

kam class I gender m

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

Declension

declension of kam (kinship)

	form
term of address	kam
term of reference	kam-uh

References

• 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

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch kam.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kam (plural kamme)

1. comb

Ainu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ka̠m]

Noun

kam (Kana spelling カㇺ)

1. flesh, meat

   unma kam hure.

   Horse meat is red.

Albanian

Alternative forms

• kom — Gheg dialects
• kêm — southern Gheg, Kavajë

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

• (Tosk) IPA^(key): [kam]
• (Gheg) IPA^(key): [kam]
  • (Gheg dialects) IPA^(key): [kom]
  • (Southern Gheg, Kavajë) IPA^(key): [kɛ̃m]

Verb

kam (aorist pata, participle pasur)

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

Conjugation

• active voice

Standard Albanian conjugation of kam (active voice)

• Show compound tenses:  

		participle		pasur
		gerund		duke pasur
		infinitive		për të pasur
singular			plural
1st pers.	2nd pers.	3rd pers.	1st pers.	2nd pers.	3rd pers.
indicative	present	kam	ke	ka	kemi	keni	kanë
	imperfect	kisha	kishe	kishte	kishim	kishit	kishin
	aorist	pata	pate	pati	patëm	patët	patën
perfect	kam pasur	ke pasur	ka pasur	kemi pasur	keni pasur	kanë pasur
past perfect	kisha pasur	kishe pasur	kishte pasur	kishim pasur	kishit pasur	kishin pasur
aorist II	pata pasur	pate pasur	pati pasur	patëm pasur	patët pasur	patën pasur
future1	do të kem	do të kesh	do të ketë	do të kemi	do të keni	do të kenë
future perfect2	do të kem pasur	do të kesh pasur	do të ketë pasur	do të kemi pasur	do të keni pasur	do të kenë pasur
subjunctive	present	të kem	të kesh	të ketë	të kemi	të keni	të kenë
imperfect	të kisha	të kishe	të kishte	të kishim	të kishit	të kishin
perfect	të kem pasur	të kesh pasur	të ketë pasur	të kemi pasur	të keni pasur	të kenë pasur
past perfect	të kisha pasur	të kishe pasur	të kishte pasur	të kishim pasur	të kishit pasur	të kishin pasur
conditional1, 2	imperfect	do të kisha	do të kishe	do të kishte	do të kishim	do të kishit	do të kishin
	past perfect	do të kisha pasur	do të kishe pasur	do të kishte pasur	do të kishim pasur	do të kishit pasur	do të kishin pasur
optative	present	paça	paç	pastë	paçim	paçi	paçin
perfect	paça pasur	paç pasur	pastë pasur	paçim pasur	paçit pasur	paçin pasur
admirative	present	paskam	paske	paska	paskemi	paskeni	paskan
	imperfect	paskësha	paskëshe	paskësh	paskëshim	paskëshit	paskëshin
perfect	paskam pasur	paske pasur	paska pasur	paskemi pasur	paskeni pasur	paskan pasur
past perfect	paskësha pasur	paskëshe pasur	paskësh pasur	paskëshim pasur	paskëshit pasur	paskëshin pasur
imperative	present	—	ki	—	—	kini	—
1) indicative future identical with conditional present 2) indicative future perfect identical with conditional perfect

Related terms

• kap

Angloromani

Alternative forms

• kan, tam

Etymology

Inherited from Romani kham.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʰæm], [ˈcæm]

Noun

kam

1. sun

References

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

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		кам
Arabic		کام

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian کام.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [cam], [t͡ʃɑm]

Noun

kam (definite accusative kamı, plural kamlar)

1. wish, desire

   Synonyms: arzu, dilək, istək

2. pleasure

   Synonyms: ləzzət, zövq

Declension

Declension of kam

	singular	plural
nominative	kam	kamlar
definite accusative	kamı	kamları
dative	kama	kamlara
locative	kamda	kamlarda
ablative	kamdan	kamlardan
definite genitive	kamın	kamların

Possessive forms of kam

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamım	kamlarım
sənin (“your”)	kamın	kamların
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamı	kamları
bizim (“our”)	kamımız	kamlarımız
sizin (“your”)	kamınız	kamlarınız
onların (“their”)	kamı or kamları	kamları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamımı	kamlarımı
sənin (“your”)	kamını	kamlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamını	kamlarını
bizim (“our”)	kamımızı	kamlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	kamınızı	kamlarınızı
onların (“their”)	kamını or kamlarını	kamlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamıma	kamlarıma
sənin (“your”)	kamına	kamlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamına	kamlarına
bizim (“our”)	kamımıza	kamlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	kamınıza	kamlarınıza
onların (“their”)	kamına or kamlarına	kamlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamımda	kamlarımda
sənin (“your”)	kamında	kamlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamında	kamlarında
bizim (“our”)	kamımızda	kamlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	kamınızda	kamlarınızda
onların (“their”)	kamında or kamlarında	kamlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamımdan	kamlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	kamından	kamlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamından	kamlarından
bizim (“our”)	kamımızdan	kamlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	kamınızdan	kamlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	kamından or kamlarından	kamlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	kamımın	kamlarımın
sənin (“your”)	kamının	kamlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	kamının	kamlarının
bizim (“our”)	kamımızın	kamlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	kamınızın	kamlarınızın
onların (“their”)	kamının or kamlarının	kamlarının

Further reading

• “kam” in Obastan.com.

Chinese

Etymology 1

(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?”)

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kem⁵

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kem⁵
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kem⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: kém⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɛːm¹³/

Adjective

kam (Cantonese)

1. (of people) cringe; weird; awkward

   kam撚 [Cantonese]  ―  kam nan² [Jyutping]  ―  cringe person

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

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kem⁴ / kem^4-2

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kem⁴ / kem^4-2
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kem⁴ / kem^4-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: kém⁴ / kém^4-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɛːm²¹/, /kʰɛːm²¹⁻³⁵/

Verb

kam

1. (Cantonese) to clear one's throat

Alternative forms

• kem, 鉗 / 钳 (qián)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kem¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kem¹
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kem¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: kém¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɛːm⁵⁵/

Adjective

kam

1. alternative form of camp

Czech

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkam]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

kam

1. where, whither (to what place)

   Antonym: odkud

Derived terms

• kamsi
• kdekam
• leckam
• ledakam
• někam
• nikam

Further reading

• “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), 2008–2025

Danish

Etymology

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”).

Noun

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)

Declension

Declension of kam

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	kam	kammen	kamme	kammene
genitive	kams	kammens	kammes	kammenes

Derived terms

• bakkekam
• benkam
• bjergkam
• bølgekam
• hanekam
• kambregne
• kamgarn
• kamgavl
• kamgræs
• kamme
• kamme over
• kammusling
• kamskive
• kamsteg
• kamstykke
• kamtakket
• lammekam
• mellemkam
• nakkekam
• redekam
• svinekam
• tykkam
• tættekam

References

• “kam” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑm/
• Rhymes: -ɑm

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

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”).

Noun

Kam

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)

Derived terms

• bergkam
• cellokam
• golfkam
• haarkam
• hanenkam
• heuvelkam
• kamband
• kamblad
• kambuisje
• kamdoos
• kamdoublet
• kamdrager
• kamduiker
• kamduin
• kametui
• kamgaren
• kamgras
• kamhaak
• kamhoen
• kamhout
• kamkever
• kammeling
• kammen
• kammer
• kamneus
• kamoester
• kamplaat
• kamrad
• kamreep
• kamschede
• kamschelp
• kamsel
• kamslager
• kamvaren
• kamwiel
• over een kam scheren
• paardenkam
• roskam
• stofkam
• vioolkam

Descendants

• 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

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

kam

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

Anagrams

• mak

Garo

Etymology

Borrowed from Assamese কাম (kam).

Noun

kam

1. work

Derived terms

• kam ka·a

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kaːm]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Verb

kam

1. first/third-person singular preterite of kommen

Hausa

Pronunciation

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

Ideophone

kam

1. firmly, tightly
2. adamant, insistent

Alternative forms

• kam-kam

Ido

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kam/

Adverb

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.

See also

• tam

Kashubian

Alternative forms

• kamiéń, kamiń

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-

Proto-Indo-European *-mō

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éḱmō

Proto-Balto-Slavic *kā́ˀmō

Proto-Slavic *kàmy

Kashubian kam

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kàmy.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

kam m inan

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

Declension

Declension of kam

	singular	plural
nominative	kam	kamë/kamienie
genitive	kama/kamienia	kamów/kamieniów
dative	kamòwi/kamieniowi	kamóm/kamienióm
accusative	kam	kamë/kamienie
instrumental	kamã/kamieniã	kamama/kamieniama
locative	kamie/kamieniu	kamach/kamieniach
vocative	kamie/kamieniu	kamë/kamienie

Further reading

• 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

Latvian

Pronoun

kam

1. dative of kas

Lithuanian

Pronoun

kam

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

   O kam tau to reikia?

   And why do you barely need this?

Synonyms

• (why) kodėl
• (why) dėl ko

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Armenian կամ (kam).

Noun

kam ?

1. threshing sledge, threshing board

   Synonyms: cencer, patoz

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse kambr.

Noun

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

1. a comb

Derived terms

• fjellkam
• kamaksel
• åskam

References

• “kam” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse kambr. Akin to English comb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑmː/

Noun

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

1. a comb

Derived terms

• bjørnekam
• fjellkam
• kamaksel
• lusekam
• åskam

References

• “kam” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Phalura

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kam/

Adjective

kam (invariable, Perso-Arabic spelling کم)

1. less
2. inferior

References

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

Pumpokol

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Yeniseian *ɢajb (“boat, vessel”).

Noun

kam (M.)

1. (vehicles, nautical) boat made of birch bark

Further reading

• Werner, Heinrich (2005), Die Jenissej-Sprachen des 18. Jahrhunderts, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, →ISBN, page 183

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kamy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kâːm/

Noun

kȃm m inan (Cyrillic spelling ка̑м)

1. (poetic) stone, rock

Declension

Declension of kam

	singular	plural
nominative	kȃm	kȃmi / kȁmovi
genitive	kama	kama / kamova
dative	kamu	kamima / kamovima
accusative	kam	kame / kamove
vocative	kame	kȃmi / kȁmovi
locative	kamu	kamima / kamovima
instrumental	kamom	kamima / kamovima

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kamo.

Adverb

kam (Cyrillic spelling кам)

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

   Synonym: kamo

   Synonym: kud

   Synonym: kuda

Slovincian

Alternative forms

• kamë, kamjeń

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-

Proto-Indo-European *-mō

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éḱmō

Proto-Balto-Slavic *kā́ˀmō

Proto-Slavic *kàmy

Slovincian kam

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kàmy.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

kam m inan

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

Further reading

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

Sumerian

Romanization

kam

1. romanization of 𒄰 (kam)

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish kamber, from Old Norse kambr, cognate with Danish kam and Dutch kam.

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kam/, [kʰam]

Noun

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

Declension

Declension of kam

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	kam	kams
	definite	kammen	kammens
plural	indefinite	kammar	kammars
	definite	kammarna	kammarnas

Derived terms

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

Related terms

• kamma

Anagrams

• mak

Talysh

Etymology

Cognate with Persian کم (kam).

Adverb

kam

1. a few, a little

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English come.

Noun

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

White Hmong

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka˩̰/

Etymology 1

Verb

kam

1. to be willing, agreeable

   Kuv kam thiab. ― I'm willing.

   Kuv tsis kam mus. ― I won't go.

Adverb

kam

1. accustomed to

   Noj mov tsi kam. ― Unaccustomed to eating rice.

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

Etymology 2

Noun

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

References

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

Yogad

Pronoun

kam

1. you (plural)

Zazaki

Alternative forms

• kom

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /cam/

Pronoun

kam

1. who