yam

yam · noun¹

1. Wolof · derived fromñàmbi“cassava”
2. Spanish · borrowed fromñame
3. Portuguese · borrowed frominhame
4. English todayyam

Borrowed from Portuguese inhame and Spanish ñame, likely from Wolof ñàmbi (“cassava”) or a related word. The term was spelled yam as early as 1657.

yam · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*haimaz
2. Old Norse · derived fromheim“home, homewards”
3. English todayyam

Alternative form of hjem. Likely caused by influence from Old Norse heim (“home, homewards”), the accusative form of heimr (“abode, world, land”), from Proto-Germanic *haimaz. More at home.

yam · verb³

1. Fula · derived fromnyaamude“to eat”
2. English todayyam

Ultimately from Fula nyaamude (“to eat”) or a cognate Fula-Wolof term.

yam · verb⁴

Apparently a variation of jam (“dunk”, verb).

Yam · proper noun⁵

Borrowed from Cantonese 任 (jam4).

Yam · noun⁶

1. Finnish · derived fromHäme“Tavastia”
2. Russian · borrowed fromямь
3. English todayYam

Borrowed from Russian ямь (jamʹ) from Finnish Häme (“Tavastia”).

Words from the same roots