Where does “Uncle Sham” come from?
Uncle Sham (English) comes from English sham, from French cham, from Ottoman Turkish خان, from Classical Persian خان, from Old Turkic 𐰴𐰣, from Old Turkic 𐰴𐰍𐰣, from English kagan — Alternative spelling of khagan.
Uncle Sham (English): Uncle Sam
Definitions
- Uncle Sam
Ancestry of “Uncle Sham”, step by step
Uncle Sham traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sham
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sham | Intended to deceive; false; counterfeit; unreal;... |
| 2 | French | cham | Cham; khan |
| 3 | Ottoman Turkish | خان | inn, caravanserai; khan |
| 4 | Classical Persian | خان | — |
| 5 | Old Turkic | 𐰴𐰣 | — |
| 6 | Old Turkic | 𐰴𐰍𐰣 | khagan; king; ruler |
| 7 | English | kagan | Alternative spelling of khagan |
via English Uncle Sam
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Uncle Sam | A personification of the United States federal government or citizens |
| 2 | English | SAM | Initialism of surface-to-air missile; Initialism... |
| 3 | Middle English | sām | together |
| 4 | Old English | sāmen | together |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | saman | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | samanai | at one; together |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |