Where does “Yam” come from?

Yam comes from Chinese jam4, of unknown ultimate origin and meaning.

Yam (English): Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated

Definitions

  1. Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated

Ancestry of “Yam”, step by step

Yam traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse heim

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseheimhome, homewards; accusative singular indefinite...
2Old Norseheimrrealm, region within walking distance to a þing...
3Proto-Germanichaimazhome; house; village
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱóymosof the home, belonging to the family; village,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

via Portuguese inhame

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portugueseinhameyam
2Fulanyamito eat

via Fula nyaamude

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Fulanyaamudeto eat
2Fulau—

Words derived from “Yam”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱóymos →Every word from Proto-Germanic haimaz →
Yam — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer