համ

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [hɑm]
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [hɑm]

From Old Armenian համ (ham).

համ • (ham)

1. taste, savour

• համն առնել (hamn aṙnel)
• համը հանել (hamə hanel)
• համը գալ (hamə gal)
• համով-հոտով (hamov-hotov)

From Middle Armenian համ (ham), from Persian هم‎ (ham). In some dialects, via Ottoman Turkish هم‎ (hem).

համ • (ham)

1. (colloquial, dialectal) and, both

   համ սա, համ նա ― ham sa, ham na ― both this and that

Used before each listed item.

• հեմ (hem), հա̈մ (häm)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1902), “հէմ”, in Tʿurkʿerēni azdecʿutʿiwnə hayerēni vray ew tʿurkʿerēnē pʿoxaṙeal baṙerə Pōlsi hay žołovrdakan lezuin mēǰ hamematutʿeamb Vani, Łarabałi ew Nor-Naxiǰewani barbaṙnerun [The influence of Turkish on Armenian, and the Turkish borrowings in the vernacular Armenian of Constantinople in comparison with the dialects of Van, Karabakh and Nor Nakhichevan] (Ēminean azgagrakan žołovacu; 3) (in Armenian), Moscow and Vagharshapat: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages
• Malxaseancʿ, Stepʿan (1944–1945), “համ₄”, in Hayerēn bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Armenian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: State Publishing House

From Proto-Indo-European *sh₁p-mo-, from *seh₁p-.

համ • (ham)

1. taste
   • 5th century, Bible, Exodus 16.31:[1]

     Եւ անուանեցին որդիքն Իսրայելի զանուն նորա Ման։ եւ նա էր իբրեւ զսերմն գնձոյ՝ սպիտակ, եւ համ նորա իբրեւ զխորիսխ մեղու։

     Ew anuanecʿin ordikʿn Israyeli zanun nora Man. ew na ēr ibrew zsermn gnjoy, spitak, ew ham nora ibrew zxorisx mełu.

     And the children of Israel called the name of it Man; and it was as white coriander seed, and the taste of it as a wafer with honey.

   • 5th century, Bible, Jeremiah 48.11:

     Հանգուցեալ էր ի մանկութենէ իւրմէ Մովաբ, եւ յուսացեալ էր ի փառս իւր, եւ չէր թափեալ աման յամանոյ, եւ ոչ երթեալ ի գերութիւն․ վասն այնորիկ կայր համ նորա ի նմին, եւ հոտ նորա ոչ պակասեաց։

     Hangucʿeal ēr i mankutʿenē iwrmē Movab, ew yusacʿeal ēr i pʿaṙs iwr, ew čʿēr tʿapʿeal aman yamanoy, ew očʿ ertʿeal i gerutʿiwn; vasn aynorik kayr ham nora i nmin, ew hot nora očʿ pakaseacʿ.

     Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed․

2. (figuratively) deliciousness; pleasantness
3. (figuratively) good taste, good order, moderation, balance

   համ դնել ― ham dnel ― to moderate, to check

• The word did not mean "sap, juice" despite being so glossed in some foreign etymological references.
• The sense "bridle" given in some dictionaries is a misunderstanding of the figurative sense "good taste, good order, moderation".

• Armenian: համ (ham)
• → Old Georgian: ჰამო (hamo)
  • ⇒ Georgian: საამო (saamo), საამური (saamuri), სიამოვნება (siamovneba)
  • → Mingrelian: ჰამო (hamo)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1977), “համ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume III, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 16–17
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “համ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 538
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “համ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 440b
• Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 420
• Lidén, Evald (1906) Armenische Studien (in German), Göteborg: Wald. Zachrissons, page 67
• Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (Oxford Linguistics), New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 258
• Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 880
• Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 27
• Olsen, Birgit Anette (2011), “Review of Martirosyan 2010”, in Kratylos, volume 56, →DOI, page 17 of 14–30
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “համ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy