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yam·mer

(yămər) Informal

v. yam·mered, yam·mer·ing, yam·mers

v. intr.

1. To talk volubly and often loudly.

2. To complain peevishly; whine: “Congress grumbled and yammered about putting up the money for the new plane” (Thomas J. Fleming).

v. tr.

To utter or say loudly or in a complaining tone.

The act of yammering.

[Middle English yameren, to lament, alteration (probably influenced by Middle Dutch jammeren, to lament) of earlier Middle English yomeren, from Old English geōmrian, geōmerian, from geōmer, sad, sorrowful; akin to akin to Old High German jāmar, perhaps ultimately of imitative origin.]

yammer·er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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