Where does “ham” come from?
ham (Old French) comes from Frankish haim, from Proto-Germanic haimaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóymos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
ham (Old French): village
Ancestry of “ham”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Frankish | haim | village, home; home, village, hamlet; home,... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |