Clame

/kleɪm/ adjective

Definition

Archaic or dialectal word meaning lame, crippled, or physically impaired.

Etymology

Middle English variant of 'lame,' with the initial 'cl-' possibly influenced by related Germanic words. This form appears in older English texts and some dialects, representing an alternative development of the word 'lame.'

Kelly Says

The word 'clame' shows how English once had multiple variants for common words—some dialects developed 'clame' while others standardized on 'lame.' Old literary texts sometimes preserve these variants, giving us windows into how English sounded centuries ago.

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