Where does “hamlet” come from?
Hamlet comes from Middle English hamlet, from Old French hamelet, diminutive of hamel, from ham, from Frankish haim, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kōim-.
hamlet (English): A small village or a group of houses; A village...
Definitions
- A small village or a group of houses; A village...
Ancestry of “hamlet”, step by step
hamlet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English hamlet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hamlet | — |
| 2 | Old French | hamelet | hamlet |
| 3 | Old French | hamel | hamlet |
| 4 | Old French | ham | village |
| 5 | Frankish | haim | village, home; home, village, hamlet; home,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |
via Middle English hamelet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hamelet | — |