hámlik

Hungarian

Etymology

First attested in 1527. From Proto-Uralic *kama (“skin”)[1] + -lik.[2] Cognates include Finnish kamara.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈhaːmlik]
Hyphenation: hám‧lik
Rhymes: -aːmlik

Verb

hámlik

(intransitive) to peel (to come off in layers)
Hámlik a bőre. ― His skin is peeling.

Usage notes

This verb belongs among those whose subjunctive forms (as well as adverbial participle and potential) would generate a cluster of three consonants, which is hard to pronounce. To avoid it, linguistic literature usually advises inserting a vowel between the first two consonants (or in some cases, avoiding these forms altogether). However, many native speakers find it just as awkward as the triple-consonant option and shrink from using it, even refusing these forms on hearing (although people have no objection to using the same linking vowel with other verbs like oszlik or bomlik). If someone wants to avoid these forms, a synonymous verb can be used instead or the sentence can be rephrased. (Verbs that are currently categorized as not having the above forms at all are listed at Hungarian defective verbs. However, in this case there is not always a clear dividing line between uncommon and impossible.) Further reading (in Hungarian):

Conjugation

conjugation of hámlik

			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
Indicative mood	Present	Indef.	hámlok	hámlasz	hámlik	hámlunk	hámlotok	hámlanak
		Def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
		2nd-p. o.	―
	Past	Indef.	hámlottam	hámlottál	hámlott	hámlottunk	hámlottatok	hámlottak
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
Conditional mood	Present	Indef.	hámlanék	hámlanál	hámlana	hámlanánk	hámlanátok	hámlanának
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
Subjunctive mood	Present	Indef.	hámoljak	hámolj or hámoljál	hámoljon	hámoljunk	hámoljatok	hámoljanak
		Def.	―
		2nd-p. o.	―
Infinitive	hámlani		hámlanom	hámlanod	hámlania	hámlanunk	hámlanotok	hámlaniuk
Other nonfinite verb forms			Verbal noun	Present participle	Past participle	Future part.	Adverbial part.	Potential
Other nonfinite verb forms			hámlás	hámló	hámlott	―	hámolva	hámolhat

Derived terms

hám

(With verbal prefixes):

lehámlik

Related terms

hámoz

References

Entry #233 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Research Institute for Linguistics, Hungary.
hámlik in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)