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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
YAM.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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YAM,
a large esculent tuber, resembling the potato. (Port.)
Mentioned in Cook's Voyages (Todd; no reference).—Port. inhame, a yam; not
given in Vieyra, but noted in Webster and in Littré. Littré gives
the F. form as igname, which he says is borrowed from the Port. inhame; and
adds: 'it was the Portuguese who first found the yam used as an object of
culture, first on the coast of Africa, afterwards in India and Malacca, and gave
it its name; but the language whence it was taken in unknown.'
Webster gives the West-Indian form as ihame, but (if Littré be right) this is
merely the Port. word with n dropped. It would seem that the orig.
word must be sought for in some African language. The Malay name is
úbí; Marsden, Malay Dict. p. 21.
ADDENDA
Occurs in 1689; Eng.
Garner, vii. 367.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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