*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of tam

Ellipsis of tam o'shanter.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 ↗
noun

Clipping of tam o'shanter, a type of cap.

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

Ellipsis of tam o'shanter.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ as a cap"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "ellipsis of",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tam o'shanter"
      },
      "expansion": "Ellipsis of tam o'shanter"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tam o'shanter",
      "tam o'shanter#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of tam o'shanter, a type of cap."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping"
      ],
      "recordId": "9a37b96f96bab31222f449b73273ce283ad8573148f80d19b90d21e121fe5333",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cae17be839f2ba019022262a2dcfe63bbbd54964094210010b34a9135435ed29",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 211679
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Synonym of picul, a unit of weight, particularly in Cantonese contexts.

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

From the Cantonese pronunciation of 擔 /担.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "picul"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yue",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Cantonese"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "擔",
      "擔#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "担",
      "担#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of picul, a unit of weight, particularly in Cantonese contexts."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f9b320fe9cfedb02b7ef82c248f0b123763c0d1879100ab3c4414b4aa6ce5a5b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "265dc220191239afa22d14ae6cd4c9ad3fd0a0cc3b96f812e9f6c23c21cfe1d6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 211680
    }
  ],
  "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 tam →

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-dGFt