A snow covered English hamlet.
- An example of a hamlet is Rothenburg in Germany.
- An example of Hamlet is the 1996 film based on the Shakespearean play.
Origin of hamletMiddle English hamelet ; from Old French (Anglo-Fr hamelete), diminutive of hamel (Fr hameau), diminutive of Middle Low German hamm, enclosed area, akin to OE: for Indo-European base see hem
- a tragedy by Shakespeare (c. 1602)
- the hero of this play, a Danish prince who avenges the murder of his father, the king, by killing his uncle Claudius, the murderer
- A small village.
- In New York state, an unincorporated community that is within a town and is not a part of a village.
Origin of hamletMiddle English hamelet, from Old French, diminutive of hamel, diminutive of ham, village, of Germanic origin; see tkei- in Indo-European roots.
From Middle French hamelet, diminutive of Old French hamel (Modern French hameau), in turn diminutive of Old French ham, of Germanic origin. Cognates of the (probably Frankish or Old English) source include home, Dutch heem, German Heim, Old English hām. (English usage before the 12th century)