An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Hamen

by Friedrich Kluge

Hamen, masculine, ‘tunnel-net,’ from Middle High German and Middle Low German hame; akin probably to the equivalent Old Swedish haver, Modern Swedish håf, masculine, Old High German hamo, masculine, ‘tunnel-net.’ The latter word is considered identical with Old High German *hamo (in lîhhamo, ‘body,’ Old Saxon gûðhamo, feðarhamo; compare Leichnam, Hemd, and hämisch), originally ‘covering, dress.’ From the meaning ‘Tuch,’ in the restricted sense in which it is used by fishermen and huntsmen (i.e. ‘toils’), the signification ‘net’ might of course be developed; but that is not certain. Old High German hamo, Middle High German ham, hame, masculine, ‘fishing-rod, fishing-hook,’ and the modern dialectic Hamen, are not allied to the words mentioned above; they seem to be cognate with Latin hâmus, ‘fishing-hook, hook’; the h might be explained as in haben.