-gamous

adjective combining form

1

: characterized by having or practicing (such) a marriage or (so many) marriages

exogamous

2

: -gamic

heterogamous

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek -gamos, adjectival derivative of gámos "marriage," derivative of gameîn "to marry," of uncertain origin

Note: Greek gameîn has been compared with an Indo-European etymon meaning "son-in-law" or "brother-in-law," hypothetically derived from a base *ǵemH-, *ǵm̥H- "marry," with various suffixes (Greek gambrós, Sanskrit jāmātar-, Latin gener, Albanian dhëndërr, Lithuanian žéntas, Old Church Slavic zętĭ, the latter two probably influenced by *ǵenh₁- "give birth to"). However evidence for a verbal base alone, if it existed, would only be afforded by Greek.