Where does “nām” come from?

nām (Old English) comes from Old Norse nám, from Proto-Germanic nēmō, from Proto-Germanic nemaną, from Proto-Indo-European nem- — to distribute; to give, to take.

nām (Old English): seizure of property

Definitions

  1. seizure of property

Ancestry of “nām”, step by step

nām traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse nám

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsenámoccupation; acquisition, learning, study; taking,...
2Proto-Germanicnēmōtaking, acceptance
3Proto-Germanicnemanąto take
4Proto-Indo-Europeannem-to distribute; to give, to take

via Proto-Nuristani *nāma

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Nuristani*nāmaname
2Proto-Indo-IranianHnā́maname
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁nómn̥name
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃neh₃-to name

Words derived from “nām”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European nem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic nemaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic nēmō →
nām — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer