HeyRuaHow to say “cam” in Irish
- Irish:
- ceam
- English:
- cam
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, third declension
- Pronunciation:
- “kyam” /cʲam/
- Plural:
- ceamanna (cams)
- Genitive singular:
- ceama, an cheama (e.g. cruth an cheama, the shape of the cam)
- Genitive plural:
- ceamanna, na gceamanna (e.g. socrú na gceamanna, the arrangement of the cams)
What does “ceam” mean?
- cam
- A rotating or sliding part of a machine that turns circular motion into back-and-forth movement, as in an engine.Also: engine cam, machine cam.
“Ceam” with the article
The plural of cam in Irish is ceamanna. Here is ceam after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Ceam” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using ceam, the Irish word for cam.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Cam in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for cam?
The Irish for cam is ceam (pronounced “kyam”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is ceamanna.
How do you pronounce ceam in Irish?
Ceam is said like “kyam” (IPA /cʲam/).
What is the plural of cam in Irish?
The plural of ceam is ceamanna; with the article, na ceamanna means “the cams”. The genitive plural is ceamanna, as in socrú na gceamanna (the arrangement of the cams).
Why does ceam change to cheam or gceam?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) ceam becomes mo cheam (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár gceam (eclipsis).
Is 'ceam' related to the adjective 'cam' meaning crooked?
No. 'Ceam' is a technical borrowing of English 'cam' for a machine part, while 'cam' in Irish is an adjective meaning crooked or bent.
