Etymograph

English

hamlet

Hamlet comes from Old French hamel, from ham ‘village’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *haimaz ‘home’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*haimaz‘home’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*haimreconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ham‘village’
  4. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400hamelin turn diminutive of ham
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400hameletdiminutive of hamel
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hamlet
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1604same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*haimaz‘home’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*haimreconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ham‘village’
  4. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400hamelin turn diminutive of ham
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400hameletdiminutive of hamel
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hamlet
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1604same form

Earliest quotation: 1604, View of Frannce:: “One hundred thirtie two thousand of Parish Churches, Hamlets,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’

post, site, position, situation, positive, purpose, suppose, opponent, compound, propose, expose, impose, consolation, dispose, compose, repository, homelessness, proponent, exponent, homely, posit, expound, situate, pone, situs, 68 more

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱóymos

homeless, 4 more

through Proto-Germanic *haimaz ‘home’

home, bohemian, haunt, hame, 11 more

Today it means

noun A small settlement or a group of houses, often defined as a settlement smaller than a village.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *haimaz / hamlet

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