From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *yem- (“to hold, match, defeat”). Reinforced by cognate Middle Dutch jammeren (modern Dutch jammeren), from the same ultimate origin. Cognate also with Scots yammer, Saterland Frisian jammerje, West Frisian jammerje, German Low German jammern, German jammern, Danish jamre, Norwegian jamre. Compare also Old Norse amra (“to howl, wail, yammer”).
Meanings
(uncountable) The act or noise of yammering.
The house is just as he had imagined it would be: rubbishy furniture, a clutter of ornaments (porcelain shepherdesses, cowbells, an ostrich-feather flywhisk), the yammer of the radio, the cheeping of birds in cages, cats everywhere underfoot. 1999, J. M. Coetzee, chapter 8, in Disgrace, Penguin, published 2000, pages 72–73:
(uncountable) A loud noise.
The ungodly scream of Jap wings in the wind, and the blood-chilling snarl and yammer of their aerial machine gun and aerial cannon fire was enough to make the very ground shake and tremble. 1943, R. Sidney Bown, chapter 12, in Dave Dawson with the Flying Tigers, Akron, Ohio: Saalfield Publishing Company:
(uncountable) One who yammers.
Translations (3)
ru нытик (One who yammers) · de Jammer (The act or noise of yammering) · ru нытьё (The act or noise of yammering)
From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *yem- (“to hold, match, defeat”). Reinforced by cognate Middle Dutch jammeren (modern Dutch jammeren), from the same ultimate origin. Cognate also with Scots yammer, Saterland Frisian jammerje, West Frisian jammerje, German Low German jammern, German jammern, Danish jamre, Norwegian jamre. Compare also Old Norse amra (“to howl, wail, yammer”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To complain peevishly.
(intransitive) To talk loudly and persistently.
(transitive) To repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint.
(intransitive, rare) To make an outcry; to clamor.
It was a ship, but a whale to the Dark Nebula’s minnow; and on its side was the Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire. Every alarm on the ship yammered hysterically. 1951, Isaac Asimov, ““The Merchant Princes”, chapter 17”, in Foundation, part V, Panther Books Ltd, published 1974, page 182:
hu sápítozik (to complain peevishly) · hu szól (to make an outcry; to clamor) · de jammern (to complain peevishly) · hu óbégat (to complain peevishly) · ru ныть (to complain peevishly) · bg вайкам се (to complain peevishly) · hu óbégat (to make an outcry; to clamor) · hu rikolt (to make an outcry; to clamor) · hu nyavalyog (to complain peevishly) · hu jajgat (to complain peevishly) · hu jammerol (to complain peevishly) · hu kiált (to make an outcry; to clamor) · hu szajkóz (to repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint) · hu hajtogat (to repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint) · hu nyafog (to complain peevishly) · hu siránkozik (to complain peevishly) · hu sopánkodik (to complain peevishly) · hu ismételget (to repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint)