English
sam
Sam comes from Middle English sammen, from Old English samnian ‘to gather’, from Proto-Germanic *samnōną ‘to gather’, from *samanai ‘together’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one; together’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*samanai‘together’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*samnōną‘to gather’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*samnōn‘to gather’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150samnian‘to collect, gather’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sammen
- Englishearliest quotation 1905sam
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sem-‘one; together’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*samanai‘together’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*samnōną‘to gather’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*samnōn‘to gather’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150samnian‘to collect, gather’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sammen
- Englishearliest quotation 1905sam
Earliest quotation: 1905, Keighley Snowden: “I sammed it up for ye”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’
some, single, similar, seem, simple, simply, same, soft, simulation, sincerely, singular, resemble, assemble, resemblance, simultaneous, anomaly, simulate, sincerity, semblance, assimilate, anomalous, homeopathic, synapse, homology, insincere, hyphen, simile, simulacrum, sempre, synchronise, homolog, 46 more
Another origin of sam
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sēmi-‘half’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CEsame form‘half’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sāmi-reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*sām-reconstructedvariant of *sāmi-
- Englishtodaysam
Today it means
verb To assemble.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sem- / sam