am-

Choctaw

Alternative forms

• ʋm (traditional)

Prefix

am- (after another prefix -sam-, before consonants a̱-, class III first-person singular)

1. the indirect object of an active transitive verb

   to me, for me

2. the subject of an intransitive affective verb

   I

3. the direct object of a small set of transitive verbs mostly dealing with affect, communication and intimacy

   me

4. indicates possession of a noun

   my

Inflection

Choctaw Person Markers

			class I			class II		class III		class N		imperative
			+s	+C	+V	+C/i	+a/o	+C	+V	+C	+V	+C	+V
first-person	singular	initial	-li			sa-	si-	a-	am-	ak-		n/a
		medial						-sa-	-sam-
	paucal		ī-		il-	pi-		pi-	pim-	kī-	kil-
	plural					hapi-		hapi-	hapim-
second-person	singular		is-	ish-		chi-		chi-	chim-	chik-		∅
	plural		has-	hash-		hachi-		hachi-	hachim-	hachik-		ho-	oh-
third-person			∅			∅		i-	im-	ik-

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• an- (when followed by a consonant which is not labial)

Prefix

am-

1. Subject prefix for verbs; it indicates that the subject is second-person plural; you, you all.

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *am-, allophonic variant of *an- before *b and *ɸ.

Pronunciation

With lenited m:

• IPA^(key): [aṽ]

With unlenited m:

• IPA^(key): [am]

Prefix

am-

1. Alternative form of an- (“un-, not”)

Usage notes

The lenited form is used before r, l, and n as well as a few vowel-initial forms that started with *ɸ in Proto-Celtic. The unlenited form is used before b and p.

Derived terms

Old Irish terms prefixed with am-

Welsh

Etymology

From am (“about”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /am/

Prefix

am-

1. around, circum-

   ‎am- + ‎llen (“sheet”) → ‎amlen (“envelope”)

   ‎am- + ‎ysgrifio (“to write, to inscribe”) → ‎amsgrifio (“to circumscribe”)

   ‎am- + ‎cau (“to close”) → ‎amgáu (“to enclose”)

Derived terms

Welsh terms prefixed with am-

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
am-	unchanged	unchanged	ham-
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “am-”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies