same

Reading level: easy

Estimated CEFR level: A1 — Beginner

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a member of an indigenous nomadic people living in northern Scandinavia and herding reindeer
  2. noun the language of nomadic Lapps in northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula
  3. adjective same in identity

Etymology

From Middle English same, from Old Norse samr (“same”) and/or Old English same, sama (“same”) in the phrase swā same (swā) (“in like manner, in the same way (as)”), both from Proto-Germanic *samaz (“same”), from Proto-Indo-European *somHós (“same”). Doublet of some and -some. Cognates Cognate with Scots samin (“same, like, together”), Dutch samen (“together”), Danish samme (“same”), Swedish samma (“same”), Norwegian Bokmål samme (“same”), Norwegian Nynorsk same (“same”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama), a weak adjectival form, Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “same”), Old Irish som, Russian са́мый (sámyj), Sanskrit सम (samá), Persian هم (ham, “also, same”), Finnish sama (“same”), Estonian sama (“same”). Unrelated to similar words in Austronesian languages such as Malagasy samy (“both, each, everyone; same”); Indonesian and Malay sama (“same, equal, together, exactly like”); Lauan dama (“mate, fellow, corresponding part; exactly like, the same”), 'Are'are tama (“in line, in pairs”)), which originated from Proto-Austronesian *sama (“both, each, everyone, fellow, together, corresponding part; exactly like, in pairs, in line; same”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

Lapp, Lapplander, Sami, Saami, Saame

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