kam

See also: Kam, KAM, -kam-, kám, and käm-

Translingual

Symbol

kam

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

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English

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *kambos; compare jamb and Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Irish cam. 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 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     This is clean kam.

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kh₂em-

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for kam in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Chinese kam.

Adjective

kam (comparative more kam, superlative most kam)

1. (colloquial, in reference to a person) weird
2. (colloquial) awkward

Anagrams

• AMK, KMA, Mak, ma'k, mak

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Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch kam.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

kam (plural kamme)

1. comb

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Ainu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ka̠m]

Noun

kam (Kana spelling カㇺ)

1. flesh, meat

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Albanian

Etymology

Suppletive. The aorist and participle are from Proto-Albanian *pat(i)-, from Proto-Indo-European *poti-o-, cognate with Latin potior (“to have a share in, take possession of”). The other forms are from Proto-Albanian *kapmi, from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, to grasp”), cognate with Latin capiō (“take, seize”), and akin to Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to have, to hold”) (whence English have, German haben (“to have”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (haban, “to have”)). Cf. also Romanian am (“I have”), first-person singular indicative form of avea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kam]

Verb

kam (first-person singular past tense pata, participle pasur)

1. I have
2. (impersonal, third person) There is

Conjugation

• active voice

Standard Albanian conjugation of kam (active voice)

participle (pjesore)			pasur
gerund (përcjellore)			duke pasur
infinitive (paskajore)			për të pasur
		singular (njëjës)			plural (shumës)
		1st pers. (veta e 1rë)	2nd pers. (veta e 2të)	3rd pers. (veta e 3të)	1st pers. (veta e 1rë)	2nd pers. (veta e 2të)	3rd pers. (veta e 3të)
indicative (dëftore)		unë	ti	ai/ajo	ne	ju	ata/ato
	present (e tashme)	kam	ke	ka	kemi	keni	kanë
	imperfect (e pakryer)	kisha	kishe	kishte	kishim	kishit	kishin
	aorist (simple past) (e kryer e thjeshtë)	pata	pate	pati	patëm	patët	patën
	perfect (e kryer)	kam pasur	ke pasur	ka pasur	kemi pasur	keni pasur	kanë pasur
	past perfect (më se e kryer)	kisha pasur	kishe pasur	kishte pasur	kishim pasur	kishit pasur	kishin pasur
	aorist II (past perfect II) (e kryer e tejshkuar)	pata pasur	pate pasur	pati pasur	patëm pasur	patët pasur	patën pasur
	future¹ (e ardhme)	do të kem	do të kesh	do të ketë	do të kemi	do të keni	do të kenë
	future perfect² (e ardhme e përparme)	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 (lidhore)		unë	ti	ai/ajo	ne	ju	ata/ato
	present (e tashme)	të kem	të kesh	të ketë	të kemi	të keni	të kenë
	imperfect (e pakryer)	të kisha	të kishe	të kishte	të kishim	të kishit	të kishin
	perfect (e kryer)	të kem pasur	të kesh pasur	të ketë pasur	të kemi pasur	të keni pasur	të kenë pasur
	past perfect (më se e kryer)	të kisha pasur	të kishe pasur	të kishte pasur	të kishim pasur	të kishit pasur	të kishin pasur
conditional¹, ² (kushtore)		unë	ti	ai/ajo	ne	ju	ata/ato
	imperfect (e pakryer)	do të kisha	do të kishe	do të kishte	do të kishim	do të kishit	do të kishin
	past perfect (më se e kryer)	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 (dëshirore)		unë	ti	ai/ajo	ne	ju	ata/ato
	present (e tashme)	paça	paç	pastë	paçim	paçit	paçin
	perfect (e kryer)	paça pasur	paç pasur	pastë pasur	paçim pasur	paçit pasur	paçin pasur
admirative (habitore)		unë	ti	ai/ajo	ne	ju	ata/ato
	present (e tashme)	paskam	paske	paska	paskemi	paskeni	paskan
	imperfect (pakryer)	paskësha	paskëshe	paskësh	paskëshim	paskëshit	paskëshin
	perfect (e kryer)	paskam pasur	paske pasur	paska pasur	paskemi pasur	paskeni pasur	paskan pasur
	past perfect (më se e kryer)	paskësha pasur	paskëshe pasur	paskësh pasur	paskëshim pasur	paskëshit pasur	paskëshin pasur
imperative (urdhërore)		—	ti	—	—	ju	—
	present (e tashme)	—	ki	—	—	kini	—
¹) indicative future identical with conditional present ²) indicative future perfect identical with conditional perfect

Related terms

• kap

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Angloromani

Alternative forms

• kan, tam

Etymology

Inherited from Romani kham.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʰæm], [ˈcæm]

Noun

kam

1. sun

References

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

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Chinese

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kem⁵

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: kem⁵
    • Yale: colloquial sounds not defined
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kem⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: kém⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɛːm¹³/

Adjective

kam

1. (Cantonese, of people) weird; awkward
2. (Cantonese, of event or action) embarrassing

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic, from the sound produced by someone coughing without opening their mouth.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kem⁴, kem^4-2

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: kem⁴, kem^4-2
    • Yale: colloquial sounds not defined, colloquial sounds not defined
    • 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

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Czech

Etymology

From Old Czech kamo, from Proto-Slavic *kamo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkam]

• Audio

  (file)

Adverb

kam

1. where, whither (to what place)

   Antonym: odkud

Further reading

• kam in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• kam in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

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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)

Inflection

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

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch kamp, from Old Dutch *kamb, from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑm/
• Rhymes: -ɑm

• audio

  (file)

Noun

Kam

kam m (plural kammen, diminutive kammetje n)

1. A comb, utensil to groom hair, fur etc.
2. (anatomy etc.; by analogy) A ridge, erect shape
3. (technical) A cam
4. bridge (e.g. of a violin)

Derived terms

• kamband n
• kamblad n
• kambuisje n, kametui n
• kamdoos
• kamdoublet n
• kamdrager
• kamduiker
• kamduin
• kamhaak
• kamgaren n
• kamgras n
• kamhaak
• kamhout n
• kamkever
• kammeling
• kammen
• kammer m
• kammig (also -kammig in compounds)
• kammug
• kamneus
• kamoester
• kamplaat
• kamrad n
• kamreep
• kamschede
• kamschelp
• kamslager
• kamvaren
• kamsel n
• kamvaren
• kamwiel n
• (comb types by use) haarkam, paardekam, roskam
• stofkam

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

Verb

kam

1. first-person singular present indicative of kammen
2. imperative of kammen

Anagrams

• mak

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Garo

Etymology

Borrowed from Assamese কাম (kam).

Noun

kam

1. work

Derived terms

• kam ka·a

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kaːm]

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

kam

1. first/third-person singular preterite of kommen

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Hausa

Pronunciation

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

Ideophone

kam

1. firmly, tightly
2. adamant, insistent

Alternative forms

• kam-kam

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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

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Kashubian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *kamy.

Noun

kam m gen. kamienia

1. A stone, rock, boulder
2. A shoal, reef (above or below water)

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Latvian

Pronoun

kam

1. dative form of kas

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Lithuanian

Pronoun

kam

1. dative of kas
2. (pejorative) (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

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Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Armenian կամ (kam).

Noun

kam ?

1. threshing sledge, threshing board

   Synonyms: cencer, patoz

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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.

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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

• fjellkam
• kamaksel
• åskam

References

• “kam” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Phalura

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kam/

Adjective

kam (invariable, Perso-Arabic spelling کم)

1. less
2. inferior

References

• Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[1], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *kamy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kâːm/

Noun

kȃm m (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

From Proto-Slavic *kamo.

Adverb

kam (Cyrillic spelling кам)

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

Synonyms

• kamo

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Sumerian

Romanization

kam

1. Romanization of 𒄰 (kam)

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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/, IPA^(key): [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
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	kam	kammen	kammar	kammarna
Genitive	kams	kammens	kammars	kammarnas

Derived terms

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

Related terms

• kamma

Anagrams

• mak

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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

This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. This language 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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Yogad

Pronoun

kam

1. you (plural)

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Zazaki

Alternative forms

• kom

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /cam/

Pronoun

kam

1. who