Kamarátom

Kamarátom is the instrumental singular form of the Slovak noun kamarát, meaning "friend" or "comrade." In Slovak grammar, the instrumental case is used to express accompaniment with prepositions such as s, so phrases like s kamarátom mean “with a friend.” The form kamarátom typically appears in contexts where the noun is part of a prepositional phrase indicating joint action or association, for example, Idem na výlet s kamarátom, meaning “I’m going on a trip with a friend.”

Phonology and morphology: The instrumental singular is formed by adding the suffix -om to the stem kamarát, yielding kamarátom. This pattern is typical for masculine nouns of certain declensions in Slovak. The bare form kamarát remains the nominative singular, while other cases show different endings.

Etymology and cognates: The Slovak kamarát has cognates in related Slavic languages and through German influence. It derives from the German Kamerad, a term for a companion or comrade, with semantic expansion in Slovak to include close friends. In Czech, a closely related word is kamarád, with the instrumental form kamarádem; in Slovak the instrumental form resembles kamarátom.

Usage notes: Kamarátom is not used alone as a stand-alone noun in most contexts; it appears within a phrase coordinated with a preposition. It commonly occurs in informal speech when referring to a male friend or comrade, though the exact sense can vary with context (friend, buddy, or ally).

See also: kamarát, kamarád, camaraderie.