Kamas
/ˈkæməs/noun
A variant spelling of camas, a North American flowering plant with edible bulbs.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Nuu-chah-nulth, whose term for the edible bulb was borrowed into Chinook Jargon and then adopted by English speakers.
Etymological Timeline
Before European contact
Nuu-chah-nulth
q̓əmaš
“The camas plant or its edible bulb”
18th–19th Century
Chinook Jargon
kamass
“Camas, especially the edible bulb used as food”
19th Century
English
camas
“A North American plant cultivated or gathered for its edible bulbs”
19th–20th Century
English
kamas
“A variant spelling of camas”
Modern English
English
kamas
“A less common variant name for the camas plant”