zam

Interjection

zam

1. shortened form of kazaam
   • 1945, The Author and Journalist (volumes 30-31, page 9)

     Then suddenly — Zam! Zowie! Smash! The Post sends back an article which I was positive it would buy, and which, in fact, it had ordered. One manuscript after another is flung back into my face […]

   • 2007, J. W. Brodie-Innes, The Devil's Mistress (page 21)

     You never know when some enemy of the Free World might worm his or her way into your confidence and then — ZAM! Wipe you out.

Etymology

From Old High German zam, from Proto-Germanic *tamaz (“tame”). Compare German zahm, Dutch tam, English tame, Icelandic tamur.

Adjective

zam

1. (Uri) tame, gentle
2. (Uri, of weather) mild

References

• Abegg, Emil (1911) Die Mundart von Urseren [The Dialect of Urseren], Frauenfeld, Switzerland: Huber & co., page 68.

Etymology

From Old High German zam, from Proto-Germanic *tamaz. The vowel may be influenced by cognate German zahm. Luxembourgish zam(m) is the expected outcome of the uninflected stem, but one might expect *zuem, *zumm from the inflected forms instead. Also cognate with Dutch tam, English tame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tsaːm/
  • Rhymes: -aːm
  • Homophone: Zam

Adjective

zam (masculine zamen, neuter zaamt, comparative méi zam, superlative am zaamsten)

1. tame

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *tamaz, whence also Old English tam, Old Norse tamr

Adjective

zam

1. tame

Etymology

From Arabic [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʐɑm]

Noun

zam (definite accusative zammı, plural zamlar)

1. surcharge
2. increase in price

   Benzinden sonra dizeli de zam vurdu.

   After gasoline an increase in price also hit diesel.

3. salary raise

   Memurlara %17 zam verdik.

   We gave civil servants a 17% salary raise.