ham English · revision 7693

+ Ham, the meat, is an Old English word, while ham, an inferior actor, arose in American English in the 1880s, and Word Origins thinks it unlikely to be named after the meat.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈhæm/ ''(UK)''; /ˈhæm/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|thigh, meat}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000|origins=gem-pro *hammō}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English hamme, [[inh|ang|hamm|t=hollow or bend of the knee]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from Proto-Germanic *hammō,^(Barnhart 1988) source also of Old Norse hǫm, Middle Dutch hamme and Old High German hamma.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Its cognates outside Germanic are Greek [[m|grc|κνήμη|tr=knḗmē|t=shin]] and Old Irish cnáim, bone,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from PIE *konəmā, shin bone.^(Barnhart 1988) Hoad and Word Origins connect it instead with a root meaning to be crooked.^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The hollow at the back of the knee: about 1000, in Ælfric's ''Glossary''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The back of the thigh, and the thigh and buttock together, is from 1552,^(OED 1989) and in quadrupeds the hock from 1607.^(OED 1989) The thigh of a hog used for food is first recorded probably about 1475 in Barnhart, while the OED and Etymonline date it 1637–50 (the 1630s).^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) In Middle English ''with hammen ifalden'', with folded hams, meant kneeling.^(Etymonline) ''Ham-handed'', clumsy, is by 1896 and ''ham-fisted'' from 1905.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – the back of the knee.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1475 – a thigh of pork.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1552 – the back of the thigh.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1896 – ham-handed.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[thigh]] of the hind leg of an animal, especially a [[hog]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Meat from this part, especially salted or smoked.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' The back of the knee or thigh, or ''(hams)'' the buttocks.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[hamstring]]

+ * [[ham-fisted]]

+ * [[ham-handed]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|performer}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=clipping|attested=1882}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It arose in American English in 1882, apparently a shortening of “hamfatter” (1880), an actor of low grade,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) said since at least 1889 to come from the minstrel-show song “The Ham-fat Man” (attested by 1856).^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Word Origins suggests a link instead with ham-fisted, or perhaps with amateur.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An inferior actor who overacts: 1882.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In boxing slang an incompetent fighter was a ham in 1888.^(Etymonline) The notion of amateurishness gave an amateur telegraphist (1919) and an amateur radio operator (1922 in Barnhart, 1919 in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The verb, to overact, especially ''ham it up'', is from 1933, and the adjective by 1935.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1880 – hamfatter.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1882 – ham, a bad actor.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1919 – an amateur telegraphist.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1933 – to ham (it up).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[actor]] who overacts, or a performer who [[exaggerate|alt=exaggerates]].^(AHD)

+ # A licensed [[amateur]] radio operator.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To overact or exaggerate a part.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hamlet]]

+ * [[hamfatter]]

+ * [[amateur]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Ham in English place names, such as Ham in Surrey, is from Old English hamm, enclosed land,^(MWU 2024) and Ham, son of Noah, is a Hebrew name.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}