Where does “ham” come from?
Ham derives from English hamfatter, which comes from Proto-Germanic haimaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kōim-.
ham (English): The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal...
Definitions
- The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal...
Ancestry of “ham”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hamme | The interior or rear side of the knee; An... |
| 2 | Old English | hamm | ham, inner knee; enclosure, piece of enclosed... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hammō | shinbone; the hollow of the knee; ham |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kónh₂m | leg |