llama

See also: llamá

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑː.mə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑmə/, or (rare, foreign) IPA^(key): /ˈjɑmə/
• (Australia, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈlɐː.mə/, /ˈlaː.mə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈla.mə/
• Rhymes: -ɑːmə
• Homophone: lama

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Quechua llamabor.

Spanish llamabor.

English llama

Borrowed from Spanish llama, borrowed from Quechua llama.

Two llamas going for a swim

Noun

llama (plural llamas)

2. A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat.
3. (slang) A firearm, especially a handgun.

Usage notes

• A male llama is often called a macho, and a female llama is often called an hembra.

Coordinate terms

• (Camelids) camelid; camel (dromedary, Bactrian camel), llama, guanaco, alpaca, vicuna/vicuña ^{(Category: en:Camelids)}

Derived terms

• berserk llama syndrome
• cama
• drama llama
• lamoid
• llamacide
• llamalike
• llamanaco
• llamoid

Descendants

• → Chinese: 駱馬 / 骆马 (luòmǎ) (semantic loan)
• → Irish: láma
• → Japanese: ラマ (rama)
• → Korean: 라마 (rama)
• → Welsh: lama

Translations

South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama

• Afrikaans: lama (af)
• Arabic: لَامَا f (lāmā)
• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܓܘܼܡܠܵܐ ܕܐܲܡܹܝܪܟܵܐ (gumlā d-ammērkā)

• Armenian: լամա (hy) (lama)
• Assamese: লামা (lama)
• Asturian: llama (ast) f
• Belarusian: ла́ма f (láma)
• Bulgarian: ла́ма (bg) f (láma)
• Catalan: llama (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 大羊駝 / 大羊驼 (dàyángtuo), 駱馬 / 骆马 (zh) (luòmǎ), 駝羊 / 驼羊 (zh) (tuóyáng), 無峰駱駝 / 无峰骆驼 (wúfēngluòtuo), 家羊駝 / 家羊驼 (jiāyángtuo)

• Czech: lama (cs) f
• Danish: lama (da) c
• Dutch: lama (nl) m
• Esperanto: lamo (eo)
• Faroese: lama f
• Finnish: laama (fi)
• French: lama (fr) m
• Georgian: ლამა (lama)
• German: Lama (de) n
• Greek: λάμα (el) f (láma)
• Hebrew: לָמָּה (he) f (lama)
• Hindi: लामा (hi) (lāmā)
• Hungarian: láma (hu)
• Icelandic: lamadýr n
• Interlingua: llama
• Irish: láma m
• Italian: lama (it) m
• Japanese: ラマ (ja) (rama), リャマ (ja) (ryama)
• Korean: 라마 (ko) (rama)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: لاما (ckb) (lama)

• Macedonian: ла́ма f (láma)
• Malay: llama
• Manx: laamey m
• Nahuatl:

  Central Nahuatl: peruichcatl

  Classical Nahuatl: pelonichcatl

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: lama (no) m

  Nynorsk: lama m

• Odia: ଲାମା (or) (lāmā)
• Persian: شتر بیکوهان (šotor-e bikohân), لاما (fa) (lâmâ)
• Polish: lama (pl) f
• Portuguese: lhama (pt) f (Brazil), lama (pt) m (Portugal)
• Quechua: llama
• Romanian: lamă (ro) f
• Russian: ла́ма (ru) f (láma)
• Slovak: lama (sk) f
• Slovene: lama (sl) f
• Spanish: llama (es) f, llamingo m
• Swedish: lama (sv) c
• Tagalog: liyama
• Thai: ยามา (yaa-maa)
• Turkish: lama (tr)
• Ukrainian: ла́ма f (láma)
• Vietnamese: lạc đà không bướu
• Volapük: lamad (vo)
• Welsh: lama m

References

• llama on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Lama on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Category:Lama (genus) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Tibetan བླ་མ (bla ma).

Noun

llama (plural llamas)

1. (Buddhism) Archaic form of lama.
   • 1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage:

     He was, as it were, a great Llama, shut up in a holy of holies, inscrutable, invisible, inexorable,—not to be seen by men's eyes or heard by their ears, hardly to be mentioned by ordinary men at such periods as these without an inward quaking.

Anagrams

• Allam, Malla

Asturian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin lama. Cognate with Spanish lama, Portuguese lama, Italian lama and Galician lama.

Noun

llama f (plural llames)

1. (uncountable) mud, slime

   Synonyms: llamuerga, folla

2. wet land, field that's always wet and doesn't need to be watered
3. moss (that grows near still water)

Related terms

• llamuerga

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin flamma. Cognate with Spanish llama, Sicilian ciamma.

Noun

llama f (plural llames)

1. flame

   Synonyms: llapa, llapada, llaparada

Etymology 3

Inherited from Latin lamina. Doublet of llámina.

Alternative forms

• llambria (Eastern)

Noun

llama f (plural llames)

1. slab, flagstone

   Synonyms: llábana, llosa

Basque

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish llama, from Quechua llama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʎama/ [ʎa.ma]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ama, -a
• Hyphenation: lla‧ma

Noun

llama anim

1. llama

Declension

Declension of llama (anim a-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	llama	llama	llamak	llamok
ergative	llamak	llamak	llamek	llamok
dative	llamari	llamari	llamei	llamoi
genitive	llamaren	llamaren	llamen	llamon
comitative	llamarekin	llamarekin	llamekin	llamokin
causative	llamarengatik	llamarengatik	llamengatik	llamongatik
benefactive	llamarentzat	llamarentzat	llamentzat	llamontzat
instrumental	llamaz	llamaz	llamez	llamotaz
inessive	llamarengan	llamarengan	llamengan	llamongan
locative	—	—	—	—
allative	llamarengana	llamarengana	llamengana	llamongana
terminative	llamarenganaino	llamarenganaino	llamenganaino	llamonganaino
directive	llamarenganantz	llamarenganantz	llamenganantz	llamonganantz
destinative	llamarenganako	llamarenganako	llamenganako	llamonganako
ablative	llamarengandik	llamarengandik	llamengandik	llamongandik
partitive	llamarik	—	—	—
prolative	llamatzat	—	—	—

Further reading

• “llama”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈʎa.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈʎa.ma]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish llama, from Quechua llama.

Noun

llama m or f by sense (plural llames)

1. llama

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French lame.

Noun

llama f (plural llames)

1. lamé

Further reading

• “llama”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish llamar (“to call”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʎaˈma/ [ʎa.ˈma]
• Hyphenation: lla‧ma

Verb

llamá

1. to call

Conjugation

Verb conjugation for llama

	Zamboanga City	Cavite
tense	llama
past	ya llama
present	ta llama
future	ay llama; llama; el llama; (rural/archaic) ey llama	di llama
gerund	llamando	?
past participle	llamao; llamado
infinitive	llama
manner	llamada
reciprocal	llamahan
reciprocal past	ya man llamahan; ya'n llamahan
reciprocal present	ta man llamahan; ta'n llamahan
reciprocal future	ay man llamahan; man llamahan; el man llamahan; (rural/archaic) ey man llamahan
reciprocal infinitive	man llamahan

Related terms

• llamada
• llamao

Classical Quechua

Noun

llama

1. llama

French

Etymology

From Spanish llama, from Quechua llama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ja.ma/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

llama m (plural llamas)

1. (rare) alternative form of lama

Quechua

Noun

llama

1. llama (Lama glama, a camelid used as a beast of burden in the Andes)

Declension

Declension of llama

	singular	plural
nominative	llama	llamakuna
accusative	llamata	llamakunata
dative	llamaman	llamakunaman
genitive	llamap	llamakunap
locative	llamapi	llamakunapi
terminative	llamakama	llamakunakama
ablative	llamamanta	llamakunamanta
instrumental	llamawan	llamakunawan
comitative	llamantin	llamakunantin
abessive	llamannaq	llamakunannaq
comparative	llamahina	llamakunahina
causative	llamarayku	llamakunarayku
benefactive	llamapaq	llamakunapaq
associative	llamapura	llamakunapura
distributive	llamanka	llamakunanka
exclusive	llamalla	llamakunalla

Possessive forms of llama

ñuqap - first-person singular ñuqap (my) singular plural nominative llamay llamaykuna accusative llamayta llamaykunata dative llamayman llamaykunaman genitive llamaypa llamaykunap locative llamaypi llamaykunapi terminative llamaykama llamaykunakama ablative llamaymanta llamaykunamanta instrumental llamaywan llamaykunawan comitative llamaynintin llamaykunantin abessive llamayninnaq llamaykunannaq comparative llamayhina llamaykunahina causative llamayrayku llamaykunarayku benefactive llamaypaq llamaykunapaq associative llamaypura llamaykunapura distributive llamayninka llamaykunanka exclusive llamaylla llamaykunalla qampa - second-person singular qampa (your) singular plural nominative llamayki llamaykikuna accusative llamaykita llamaykikunata dative llamaykiman llamaykikunaman genitive llamaykipa llamaykikunap locative llamaykipi llamaykikunapi terminative llamaykikama llamaykikunakama ablative llamaykimanta llamaykikunamanta instrumental llamaykiwan llamaykikunawan comitative llamaykintin llamaykikunantin abessive llamaykinnaq llamaykikunannaq comparative llamaykihina llamaykikunahina causative llamaykirayku llamaykikunarayku benefactive llamaykipaq llamaykikunapaq associative llamaykipura llamaykikunapura distributive llamaykinka llamaykikunanka exclusive llamaykilla llamaykikunalla paypa - third-person singular paypa (his/her/its) singular plural nominative llaman llamankuna accusative llamanta llamankunata dative llamanman llamankunaman genitive llamanpa llamankunap locative llamanpi llamankunapi terminative llamankama llamankunakama ablative llamanmanta llamankunamanta instrumental llamanwan llamankunawan comitative llamanintin llamankunantin abessive llamanninnaq llamankunannaq comparative llamanhina llamankunahina causative llamanrayku llamankunarayku benefactive llamanpaq llamankunapaq associative llamanpura llamankunapura distributive llamaninka llamankunanka exclusive llamanlla llamankunalla ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural ñuqanchikpa (our(incl)) singular plural nominative llamanchik llamanchikkuna accusative llamanchikta llamanchikkunata dative llamanchikman llamanchikkunaman genitive llamanchikpa llamanchikkunap locative llamanchikpi llamanchikkunapi terminative llamanchikkama llamanchikkunakama ablative llamanchikmanta llamanchikkunamanta instrumental llamanchikwan llamanchikkunawan comitative llamanchiknintin llamanchikkunantin abessive llamanchikninnaq llamanchikkunannaq comparative llamanchikhina llamanchikkunahina causative llamanchikrayku llamanchikkunarayku benefactive llamanchikpaq llamanchikkunapaq associative llamanchikpura llamanchikkunapura distributive llamanchikninka llamanchikkunanka exclusive llamanchiklla llamanchikkunalla ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural ñuqaykup (our(excl)) singular plural nominative llamayku llamaykukuna accusative llamaykuta llamaykukunata dative llamaykuman llamaykukunaman genitive llamaykupa llamaykukunap locative llamaykupi llamaykukunapi terminative llamaykukama llamaykukunakama ablative llamaykumanta llamaykukunamanta instrumental llamaykuwan llamaykukunawan comitative llamaykuntin llamaykukunantin abessive llamaykunnaq llamaykukunannaq comparative llamaykuhina llamaykukunahina causative llamaykurayku llamaykukunarayku benefactive llamaykupaq llamaykukunapaq associative llamaykupura llamaykukunapura distributive llamaykunka llamaykukunanka exclusive llamaykulla llamaykukunalla qamkunap - second-person plural qamkunap (your(pl)) singular plural nominative llamaykichik llamaykichikkuna accusative llamaykichikta llamaykichikkunata dative llamaykichikman llamaykichikkunaman genitive llamaykichikpa llamaykichikkunap locative llamaykichikpi llamaykichikkunapi terminative llamaykichikkama llamaykichikkunakama ablative llamaykichikmanta llamaykichikkunamanta instrumental llamaykichikwan llamaykichikkunawan comitative llamaykichiknintin llamaykichikkunantin abessive llamaykichikninnaq llamaykichikkunannaq comparative llamaykichikhina llamaykichikkunahina causative llamaykichikrayku llamaykichikkunarayku benefactive llamaykichikpaq llamaykichikkunapaq associative llamaykichikpura llamaykichikkunapura distributive llamaykichikninka llamaykichikkunanka exclusive llamaykichiklla llamaykichikkunalla paykunap - third-person plural paykunap (their) singular plural nominative llamanku llamankukuna accusative llamankuta llamankukunata dative llamankuman llamankukunaman genitive llamankupa llamankukunap locative llamankupi llamankukunapi terminative llamankukama llamankukunakama ablative llamankumanta llamankukunamanta instrumental llamankuwan llamankukunawan comitative llamankuntin llamankukunantin abessive llamankunnaq llamankukunannaq comparative llamankuhina llamankukunahina causative llamankurayku llamankukunarayku benefactive llamankupaq llamankukunapaq associative llamankupura llamankukunapura distributive llamankunka llamankukunanka exclusive llamankulla llamankukunalla

Descendants

• → Spanish: llama (see there for further descendants)

See also

• allpaqa
• wanaku
• wik'uña

Further reading

• Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (2005), “llama”, in Diccionario quechua-español-quechua/Qheswa-español-qheswa simi taqe, Cuzco: Regional Government of Cuzco, page 89

Spanish

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈʝama/ [ˈɟ͡ʝa.ma]

• IPA^(key): /ˈʝama/ [ˈɟ͡ʝa.ma] (Equatorial Guinea, most of Latin America and Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˈʎama/ [ˈʎa.ma] (rustic northern Spain, northern and central Andes Mountains (except central Ecuador), Bolivia, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Philippines)
• IPA^(key): /ˈʃama/ [ˈʃa.ma] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /ˈʒama/ [ˈʒa.ma] (central Ecuador, Santiago del Estero and environs, elsewhere in Pampas and southern Argentina, Uruguay)

• Rhymes: -ama
• Syllabification: lla‧ma

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.

Proto-Italic *flagmā

Latin flamma

Old Spanish llama

Spanish llama

Inherited from Old Spanish llama, from Latin flamma. Doublet of flama, which was borrowed.

Noun

llama f (plural llamas)

1. flame

   Synonyms: flama, llamarada

Derived terms

• a la llama
• apagallamas
• en llamas
• lanzallamas

Related terms

• llamarada
• llamear

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Quechua llama.

Noun

llama f (plural llamas)

1. llama (camelid mammal)

   Synonym: llamingo

Coordinate terms

• (Camelids) camélido; camello (dromedario, camello bactriano), llama, guanaco, alpaca, vicuña ^{(Category: es:Camelids)}

Descendants

• → Basque: llama
• → Catalan: llama
• → English: llama
  • → Chinese: 駱馬 / 骆马 (luòmǎ) (semantic loan)
  • → Irish: láma
  • → Japanese: ラマ (rama)
  • → Korean: 라마 (rama)
  • → Welsh: lama
• → Japanese: リャマ (ryama), ジャマ (jama)
• → French: llama
• → German: Lama
• → Portuguese: lhama, lama (Portugal)
• → Tagalog: liyama
• → Danish: lama

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

llama

1. inflection of llamar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “llama”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025