English word ham comes from Proto-Indo-European *kanam-, Proto-Indo-European *ḱoy-, Proto-Indo-European *ḱei-, and later Proto-Germanic *hammō (Ham. Shinbone. The hollow of the knee.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *kanam- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *ḱoy- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *ḱei- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to lie with, store, be familiar, be located; camp, settlement; friendly; from the same home |
| *hammō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Ham. Shinbone. The hollow of the knee. |
| *tḱóymos | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| hamm | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | Enclosure; pasture, meadow. |
| *haimaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Home. House. Village. |
| ham | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | (anatomy) ham, inner knee Home, house. Property, estate, farm. Village; community Enclosure, especially an enclosed pasture or dwelling. |
| hamme | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| ham | English (en) | (countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.. (internet, informal, uncommon) Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.. (uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.. (anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.. The back of the thigh. |