Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “tam” come from?

tam (Middle English) comes from Middle English tame, from Old English tam, from Proto-West Germanic tam, from Proto-Germanic tamaz, from Proto-Indo-European demh₂- — to tame, domesticate.

tam (Middle English): Alternative form of tame; Alternative form of þem

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of tame; Alternative form of þem

Ancestry of “tam”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtametame, domesticated; cultivated, domesticated;...
2Old Englishtamtame
3Proto-West Germanictamtame
4Proto-Germanictamaztame
5Proto-Indo-Europeandemh₂-to tame, domesticate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European demh₂- →