Stammes

Stammes is a German term that can serve as a genitive form and as a productive prefix in compounds related to the notion of a tribe or lineage. In standard grammar, Stammes is the genitive singular form of Stamm, meaning “of the Stamm.” However, Stammes also appears in many compound words in which it functions as a derivational prefix meaning “tribal” or “of a tribe,” as in Stammesgebiet (tribal territory), Stammeskultur (tribal culture), or Stammesgeschichte (tribal history).

Etymology and senses

The base word Stamm has multiple related meanings in German, including trunk or stem of a tree, origin or lineage, and a social group such as a tribe. The genitive singular form of Stamm is Stammes (for example, “des Stammes”). In compounds, Stammes- serves to label a characteristic or attribute associated with a tribe, rather than indicating possession. This prefix is productive in modern German for forming terms that describe tribal or ancestral aspects of a group.

Usage notes

Stamm (and its plural Stämme) is typically preferred when referring to a tribe in everyday or historical contexts. Stammes- compounds are common in academic, historical, and ethnographic language to describe features attributed to a tribe, such as Stammesrecht (tribal law), Stammesführung (tribal leadership), or Stammesgeschichte (tribal history). The use of Stammes- allows concise expression of tribal concepts without repeating the noun Stamm.

See also

Stamm, Stämme, Stammbau, Stammesgeschichte, Stammeskultur, Stammesgebiet.