kamote

English

Kamote, also known as sweet potato.

Etymology

Borrowed from Tagalog kamote, from Mexican Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəˈmoʊ.teɪ/

Noun

kamote (plural kamotes)

1. (Philippines) Alternative form of camote.

Derived terms

• kamote rider
• kamote tops

Anagrams

• matoke

Asi

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Noun

kamote

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ka‧mo‧te
• IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kɐˈmo.t̪e]

Noun

kamote

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant

Related terms

• badyo
• galay

Central Bikol

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kaˈmo.te]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ka‧mo‧te

Noun

kamóte (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant
3. (informal) failure, botched attempt

   Synonym: kalabasa

Adjective

kamóte (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. (informal) stupid

   Synonyms: patal, palpal, pulpol, pangol, bobo, boba, tonto, tonta

Derived terms

• kamoteng kahoy
• mangamote

Tagalog

Kamote

Motorcycle drivers fully occupying both lanes of the road, blocking the flow of traffic – hence "kamote".

Alternative forms

• kamuti — obsolete

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

The sense about performing badly is possibly an expression suggesting students should instead plant potatoes, or possibly a play on the word kamot (“scratch”), about scratching one's head when not knowing what to do. However, this sense already exists as part of Mexican Spanish slang: see verb Spanish camotear (“to wander with no specific purpose in mind”).

Compare Chamorro kamote (“shucks; dang it”) and kamuti (“sweet potato”). See also Hokkien 大番薯 (tōa-han-chî), Cantonese 大番薯 (daai⁶ faan¹ syu^4-2), Hakka 大番薯.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kɐˈmoː.t̪ɛ]
• Rhymes: -ote
• Syllabification: ka‧mo‧te

Noun

kamote (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant
3. (slang) act of performing badly on a task
4. (slang, by extension) a driver, most likely a motorcycle driver, with little or no regard for the rules of the road

   Synonym: (Rizal) aburan

Derived terms

• kamoteng-kahoy

See also

• patatas

Adjective

kamote (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. (slang) puzzled; unable to figure out how to resolve a problem or a task

Derived terms

• anak ng kamote
• kamote ang ulo
• makamote
• mangamote
• pangangamote

Descendants

• → English: kamote
• → Hokkien: ka-mú-tī

See also

• loko

Further reading

• “kamote”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Zorc, R. David; San Miguel, Rachel (1993), Tagalog Slang Dictionary‎^[1], Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972), Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 104

Anagrams

• kometa