Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ahma (“glutton”) (compare dialectal Estonian ahm (“glutton”), Ingrian ahmo (“greedy”), Karelian ahmo (“wolverine, glutton”), Ludian ahmo (“wolverine”)), probably ultimately borrowed from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Haćman- (compare Sanskrit अश्मन् (aśman, “eater”)).[1] Related also to Proto-Samic *vuosvēs (compare Northern Sami vuosmmis).

The meaning “wolverine” is possibly a calque from other European languages such as German Vielfraß and Latin gulo. Alternatively, according to SSA, the shift “glutton” → “wolverine” may have first occurred in Finnish and been calqued into Low German and thence into other languages.[2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɑhmɑ/, [ˈɑ̝xmɑ̝]
    +Rhymes: -ɑhmɑ
  • Syllabification(key): ah‧ma
  • Hyphenation(key): ah‧ma

Noun

ahma

  1. wolverine, glutton (Gulo gulo)
    Synonyms: osma, osmo, kätkä, kamppi
  2. (dialectal, chiefly Eastern Finnish) Synonym of ahmatti (“glutton”)

lähde