Skip to content

kamkam

kámkam with stress marks

forcibly own property

verb noun KAM-kam Native origin Rare

Usage Note

Kamkam describes the act of seizing or taking possession of something — land, resources, or goods — by force or without proper right. It carries a strongly negative connotation and is frequently used in political and journalistic discourse to criticize powerful individuals or institutions that appropriate what belongs to others.

Examples

Beginner

" Bawal ang kamkam ng lupa. "

Natural Translation

Forcibly seizing land is forbidden.

Literal Translation

Forbidden the forcibly-seizing of land.

Intermediate

" Ang kamkam ng lupa ay bawal. "

Natural Translation

Forcible ownership of land is prohibited.

Literal Translation

The forcibly-own of land is prohibited.

Advanced

" Maraming magsasaka ang nawalan ng kabuhayan dahil sa kamkam ng mga makapangyarihan sa lupang minana pa nila sa kanilang mga ninuno. "

Natural Translation

Many farmers lost their livelihood because of the land-grabbing by the powerful of the land they had inherited from their ancestors.

Literal Translation

Many farmers the lost of livelihood because-of the seizing of-the powerful in-the land inherited still by-them from their ancestors.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.