FromProto-Algonquian*name·ʔsa(“fish”).
namas (animate,pluralnamasak)
FromProto-Balto-Slavic*damús(“house”), fromProto-Indo-European*domos, from*dṓm. Cognate withLatviannams,Proto-Slavic*dȍmъ,Latindomus,Ancient Greekδόμος(dómos),Sanskritदम(dáma).
The etymology seems rather secure despite the irregular sound change from*d- to*n-. The originald may be seen indialectalapi̇̀dėmė(“landplot between two homesteads”); compare the more recently formedapýnamė(“area surrounding a house”).
Theassimilation is most frequently explained as from thezero-grade*dm- >*nm-, with subsequent generalization onto thefull-gradestem. CompareAvestan𐬥𐬨𐬁𐬥𐬀(nmāna,“house, quarters”). However, the only zero-grade derivative actually attested in Lithuanian,dimstis(“village, estate”) <*dm̥-st-i-, lacks this particular sound change.
nãmas m (pluralnamai̇̃) stress pattern 4
| singular (vienaskaita) | plural (daugiskaita) | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative(vardininkas) | nãmas | namai̇̃ |
| genitive(kilmininkas) | nãmo | namų̃ |
| dative(naudininkas) | nãmui | namáms |
| accusative(galininkas) | nãmą | namùs |
| instrumental(įnagininkas) | namù | namai̇̃s |
| locative(vietininkas) | namè | namuosè |
| vocative(šauksmininkas) | nãme | namai̇̃ |
namas