English word origin

Etymology of Yam

Borrowed from Cantonese 任 (jam4).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Cantonese 任 (jam4).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yue",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Cantonese"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-m",
      "args": {
        "1": "任",
        "tr": "jam4"
      },
      "expansion": "任 (jam4)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "任",
      "任#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "7eea346dbe7deb6240f172ae63fa064c776b1b2d6408566808fc69ea653a450f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e36f49c899d8092126fd9a76bd440718387c1c05156d368fc3c3f339528decfc",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6619068
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

person from Western or Southern Finland; Tavastian

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionямьru
Derivation mentionHämefi

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "anchor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Finn"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ru",
        "3": "ямь"
      },
      "expansion": "Russian ямь (jamʹ)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fi",
        "3": "Häme",
        "4": "",
        "5": "Tavastia"
      },
      "expansion": "Finnish Häme (“Tavastia”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ямь",
      "ямь#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "Häme",
      "Häme#Finnish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "person from Western or Southern Finland; Tavastian"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ],
      "recordId": "cbdea35602b8a30a90327934d3443928e803099a95b6d3f39f281af2be42bd23",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f44c988f3b10a88f98b8eae1864d2f7c946bcaefb4e5f3d9698d95b895753694",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6619069
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Yam →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-WWFt