Where does “Ham” come from?
Ham (Luxembourgish) comes from Middle High German hamme, from Old High German hamma, from Proto-Germanic hammō, from Proto-Indo-European kónh₂m — leg.
Ham (Luxembourgish): ham
Ancestry of “Ham”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | hamme | — |
| 2 | Old High German | hamma | shank, thigh |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hammō | shinbone; the hollow of the knee; ham |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kónh₂m | leg |