ream

ream · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*réwgʰmn̥“to sour [milk]”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*raumaz“cream”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*raum
4. Old English · inherited fromrēam“cream”
5. Middle English · inherited fromrem
6. English todayream

From Middle English rem, reme, from Old English rēam (“cream”), from Proto-West Germanic *raum, from Proto-Germanic *raumaz (“cream”), from Proto-Indo-European *réwgʰmn̥ (“to sour [milk]”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Room (“cream”), West Frisian rjemme (“cream”), Dutch room (“cream”), German Low German Rahm, Rohm (“cream”), German Rahm (“cream”), Swedish römme (“cream”), Norwegian rømme (“sour cream”), Faroese rómi (“cream”), Icelandic rjómi (“cream”). See also ramekin.

ream · verb²

Etymology uncertain, possibly a variant of rime (etymology 4) with the East Anglian and Kentish development of Old English /yː/ to /eː/ (the modern spelling would thus be unetymologically for *reem). Doublet of room. Cognates * Dutch ruimen (“to empty, evacuate”) * German räumen (“to make room”) * Icelandic rýma (“to make room, clear”).

ream · noun³

1. Arabic · derived fromرِزْمَة“bundle”
2. Catalan · derived fromraima“ream”
3. Old French · derived fromraime
4. Middle English · inherited fromreme
5. English todayream

From Middle English reme, from Old French raime, rayme (“ream”) (French rame), from Catalan raima (“ream”), from Arabic رِزْمَة (rizma, “bundle”).

Ream · proper noun⁴

From the German surname, Anglicized from Riehm, Röhm, Roehm.