hamlet

hamlet · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱey-
2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóymos
3. Proto-Indo-European*teḱ-
4. Proto-Indo-European*tḱéytibf.
5. Proto-Indo-European*tḱey-
6. Proto-Indo-European*tḱóymos
7. Proto-Germanic*haimaz
8. Frankish*haim
9. Old Frenchham
10. Old Frenchhamel
11. Old Frenchhamelet
12. Middle Englishhamlet
13. English todayhamlet

From Middle English hamlet, hamelet, a borrowing from Old French hamelet, diminutive of Old French hamel, in turn diminutive of Old French ham, of Germanic origin, from Frankish *haim, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *haimaz (whence English home). Equivalent to Middle English ham (“home, village”) + -let (“small”).

Hamlet · proper noun²

1. Old Danish · derived fromAmlethæ
2. French · borrowed fromHamlet
3. Latin · derived fromAmlethus
4. English todayHamlet

From Latin Amlethus, as written by 13th-century Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, and borrowed into English by way of François de Belleforest's French Hamlet, originally rendered as Hamblet in English. Ultimately from Old Danish Amlethæ, corresponding to Old Norse Amlóði (“fool”), claimed to be suggestive of the way that Hamlet acts in the play, from ama (“to annoy”).

HAMLET · noun³

Acronym of Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumor cells, chosen to spell out Hamlet.

Words from the same roots