lam

lam¹ lamb

Pronunciation

• /lɑm/^[1]

Forms

lam n (plural lammeren, diminutive lammetje n)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the lamb is inherited from Middle Dutch lam, inherited from Old Dutch *lamb, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *lamb,^[2] inherited from Proto-Germanic *lambaz.^[3][1] Middle Dutch also had lamp, the usual form in the oldest records.^[3][4] The same word is Old Saxon lamb, Old High German lamb (modern German Lamm), Old Frisian lam, Old English lamb (modern English lamb), Old Norse lamb and Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 (lamb, “lamb, sheep”).^[3][5] It was an old s-stem, as Kroonen's stem in ⟨-iz-⟩ shows, and Finnish lammas (“sheep”), borrowed from Germanic, still shows traces of the s-stem in its inflection.^[5][6][7] In Gothic, as in Gutnish and Finnish, the word means “sheep”.^[5]

No related words are known outside Germanic, so the further origin is uncertain.^[3] Kroonen and Wiktionary derive it from a base related to Ancient Greek ἔλαφος (élaphos, “deer”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁el- (“deer”), a link Franck–Van Wijk and Van Haeringen found attractive; the EWN finds it unsatisfying in both form and meaning, as it does a comparison with Latvian luõps (“cattle”) and Albanian lopë (“cow”).^{[5][1][8][7][3]} De Vries therefore suggested a word from a substrate language of northern Europe.^[6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is found in the Lex Salica (8th century), and probably in the West Flemish place name Lampanesse (Lampernisse, 857), with nes “headland” as its second part.^[3][9] An Ypres account of 1187 records lambs (lamprorum).^[10] In Middle Dutch a Limburg glossary of about 1240 gives lamp for Latin agnus “lamb”; in the 13th century lam becomes the usual form (1285).^[3][11]

Semantic evolution

From the start the lamb carried religious meaning: Brabant texts of 1276 speak of the Lamb of God, and West Flemish texts of 1285 of the Passover lamb and the lamb as a sacrifice.^[11] It also stood for meekness: “gentle as a lamb” (1290), and lambs sent among wolves (1291).^[11] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal adds its use for a gentle or defenceless person and as a pet name for a girl or small child (1615).^[12]

In 14th-century Brabant lam was also a gold coin, probably named after the Lamb of God shown on it, after French agnel.^[4] In Amsterdam a Mennonite church built next to a brewery called het Lam gave its name to the Lamisten of the 17th and 18th centuries.^[12] The compound lammetjespap (as lammertjespap, 1717), a flour porridge, has no clear motive.^[3]

The plural is lammeren; regional plurals lammer and lammen survive.^[12] The word went into Negerhollands (lam, lamtje), Papiamentu (lamchi, older lammetsje) and Sranan Tongo (lan), and lives on in Afrikaans lam.^[13][1]

Timeline

• 701–800 – The word is recorded in the Lex Salica.^[3][9]
• 857 – The place name Lampanesse (Lampernisse) probably contains it.^[3]
• 1187 – An Ypres account records lambs.^[10]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch lamp glosses Latin agnus.^[3][11]
• 1276 – The Lamb of God is named in a Brabant text.^[11]
• 1285 – The form lam prevails.^[3]
• 1324 – Lam is the name of a gold coin in Brabant.^[4]
• 1717 – Lammertjespap is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A lamb, the young of a sheep, often a symbol of innocence and meekness;^[14][15] het Lam Gods is Christ.^[14][15]
2. A young goat, a kid.^[15][1]
3. Lamb as meat; also lambskin.^[15]
4. A meek, gentle person who puts up with what others do.^[15][1]

Word family

• ooilam
• lammeren
• lammergier
• lamsoor
• lamsvlees
• lamswol
• lammetjespap

lam² lame, paralysed

Pronunciation

• /lɑm/^[1]

Forms

lam (comparative lammer, superlative lamst)^[1]

Etymology

The word for lame is inherited from Middle Dutch lam (“paralysed, powerless”), inherited from Old Dutch *lam, inherited from Proto-Germanic *lama(n)-.^[3][1] The same word is Old Saxon lam, Old High German lam (modern German lahm) and Old Frisian lam, and with weak inflection Old English lama (modern English lame) and Old Norse lami.^[3][6] The EWN refers to belemmeren, loom and leemte; the latter has the ablaut grade seen in Middle Dutch loemen (“to spoil, destroy”) and Old High German luomi (“slack”).^[3][6][8]

It goes back to Proto-Indo-European *lemH-, the root of Lithuanian lìmti (“to break”) and lémti (“to decide”) and of the Slavic verbs for “to break”, beside Proto-Slavic *lomъ (“fracture”); perhaps Ancient Greek νωλεμές (nōlemés, “unceasingly”) also belongs here, which would point to a root with an initial laryngeal.^{[3][1][5][16]} Kroonen derives the adjective from such a root, “broken”, beside a causative verb seen in Middle Dutch lemmen (“to damage, mutilate”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest records are a Brabant text of 1276, in which a woman becomes so lame that all her limbs draw together, and a West Flemish one of 1285: “my hand would have become lame”.^[11][3]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the word also meant “weak, powerless”, of people (1376) and of things: around 1351 a damned man's heat “does not grow lame”, that is, does not abate.^[4][3] Van der Sijs dates the sense “paralysed” to 1376–1400.^[9] In later Dutch it was said of limbs (een lamme hand, 1544), and lam slaen meant to beat someone senseless (1588).^[12] From the 18th century it was used of tools and machines that no longer work, as pumps in 1758, and of people without energy or drive, lazy; in Antwerp it also meant lenient.^[12]

Modern Dutch adds the senses “worn” (of a screw turned too far), “annoying, tiresome” and, informally, “very drunk”.^[14] The insult lamstraal is recorded from 1903; its second part is unclear.^[3] In Brabant dialect lam is also a noun, “a hollow in a piece of wood”.^[17] The adjective was borrowed into Negerhollands, Papiamentu, Sranan Tongo (lan) and Surinamese Javanese.^[13]

Timeline

• 1276 – Middle Dutch lam is recorded in Brabant.^[11]
• 1285 – A West Flemish text speaks of a hand that becomes lame.^[3][11]
• c. 1351 – It is used of heat that does not abate.^[4][3]
• 1544 – Een lamme hand is recorded.^[12]
• 1588 – Lam slaen “to beat senseless” appears.^[12]
• 1758 – Pumps are said to become lam, no longer working.^[12]
• 1903 – Lamstraal is first recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. paralysed, unable to move a limb or the body.^[14][15]
2. Stiff and worn out after great effort.^[15]
3. Listless, slack, lacking energy.^[15][18]
4. Not working properly; of screws, hinges or locks: worn by being turned too far.^[14][15]
5. Annoying, tiresome.^[14]
6. (informal) Very drunk.^[14][1]

Word family

• lamheid
• lamlendig
• lamlul
• lammeling
• lamstraal
• lamzak
• verlammen
• vleugellam
• lamleggen