kamote

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Tagalog kamote, from Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəˈmoʊ.teɪ/

Noun

kamote (plural kamotes)

1. (Philippines) Alternative form of camote

Derived terms

• kamote tops

Anagrams

• matoke

Asi

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Noun

kamote

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant

Bikol Central

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kaˈmo.te]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ka‧mo‧te

Noun

kamote (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant
3. (informal) failure, botched attempt

   Synonym: kalabasa

Adjective

kamote (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. (informal) stupid

   Synonyms: patal, palpal, pulpol, pangol, bobo, boba, tonto, tonta

Derived terms

• kamoteng kahoy
• mangamote

 

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ka‧mo‧te
• IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kɐˈmo.t̪e]

Noun

kamote

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant

Related terms

• badyo
• galay

 

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish camote (“sweet potato”), from Classical Nahuatl camohtli. Senses about performing badly is possibly an expression about students should instead plant potatoes, or a play on the word kamot (“scrach”), about scratching one's heads when unable to know what to do. However, some sources state that the senses already exist as part of Spanish slang to mean that way. See also Hokkien 大番薯 (tōa-han-chî), Cantonese 大番薯 (daai⁶ faan¹ syu^4-2), Hakka 大番薯.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kaˈmote/ [kɐˈmoː.tɛ]
• Rhymes: -ote
• Syllabification: ka‧mo‧te

Noun

kamote (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
2. the tuber of this plant
3. (slang) act of performing badly on a task
4. (slang, by extension) a driver with little or no regard for the rules of the road

Derived terms

• kamoteng-kahoy

 

See also

• patatas

Adjective

kamote (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

1. (slang) puzzled; unable to figure out how to resolve a problem or a task

Derived terms

• anak ng kamote
• kamote ang ulo
• makamote
• mangamote
• pangangamote

 

Descendants

• → Hokkien: ka-mú-tī

See also

• loko

Further reading

• “kamote”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
• Zorc, R. David, San Miguel, Rachel (1993) Tagalog Slang Dictionary‎^[1], Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972) Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 104