hām
The Old English word for home is hām.
hām refers to a house or structure in which someone lives.
Meaning: house or structure in which someone lives (noun)
Did you know?
- While hām described the place of residence, the word hūs was used for the physical building. In Old English, you could be at your hām without being inside a hūs.
- The modern English word 'hamlet' is a diminutive form of a word related to hām, originally meaning a 'small home' or 'small village'.
- In Old English, hām referred not just to a building but to a village or a rural settlement. This is why many English town names still end in 'ham' such as Nottingham and Birmingham.
Examples in context
- Friþ æt hāme onginþ.Peace starts at home.This sentence is useful for seeing how hām is used in the context of peace starting at home.Tatoeba #13903084 by rul, translation #8462040 by shekitten
- Ic eom nū on mīnum hāme.I am now in my home.
- Hē gæð tō his hāme.He goes to his home.
Example conversation
Two friends are greeting each other on a road.
- WulfrunHwǣr is þīn hām, Æthelstan?Where is your home, Æthelstan?
- ÆthelstanMīn hām is nēah hēr.My home is near here.
- WulfrunIs hit micel hām?Is it a large home?
- ÆthelstanNese, hit is lytel.No, it is small.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
