kamote

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Tagalog kamote, from Mexican 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

Anagrams

Asi

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaˈmote/ [kaˈmo.te]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: ka‧mo‧te

Noun

kamóte (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

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

Adjective

kamóte (Basahan spelling ᜃᜋᜓᜆᜒ)

  1. (informal) stupid
    Synonyms: patal, palpal, pulpol, pangol, bobo, boba, tonto, tonta

Derived terms

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican 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

Tagalog

Alternative forms

  • kamutiobsolete

Etymology

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

The sense about performing badly is possibly an expression suggesting students should instead plant potatoes, or possibly a play on the word kamot (scratch), about scratching one's head when not knowing what to do. However, some sources state that this sense already exists as part of Spanish slang.

Compare Chamorro kamote (shucks; dang it) and kamuti (sweet potato). See also Hokkien 大番薯 (tōa-han-chî), Cantonese 大番薯 (daai6 faan1 syu4-2), Hakka 大番薯.

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /kaˈmote/ [kɐˈmoː.t̪ɛ]
  • 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, most likely a motorcycle driver, with little or no regard for the rules of the road

Derived terms

See also

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

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

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