kadam

Cf. Bengali কদম (kodom), corruption of Sanskrit कदम्ब (kadamba).

kadam (plural kadams)

1. (India) A tropical evergreen tree, Neolamarckia cadamba (syn. Anthocephalus indicus, Nauclea cadamba), native to South and Southeast Asia.
   • 2011, Arupa Patangia Kalita, translated by Deepika Phukan, The Story of Felanee, translation of original in Assamese:

     Kinaram made the elephant sit under a large kadam tree.

• cadamba, kadamba, kadamb

• burflower-tree, common bur-flower tree, laran, Leichhardt pine

Cf. Bengali কদম (kodom, “step”), borrowed ultimately from Arabic قَدَم (qadam, “foot”).

kadam (plural kadams)

1. (South Asia, historical) A unit of distance, equal to 10 miles.
   • 1837, The Foreign Quarterly Review‎, volume 19, page 226:

     Accordingly Mangamal had all the roads throughout the kingdom formed into avenues; and at the distance of every kadam (10 English miles) she had a choultry built

   • 1895, The Punjab Record‎, volume 29, page 19:

     Where ten kadams equal 55 feet revenue under the rule adopted in Jhelum and Ludhiana would be remissible in whole or in part on 133 acres per mile, the land on both sides of the road being taken into account.

   • 1899, Rules Under the Land Revenue and Tenancy Acts: 1887‎, page 264:

     It is at a perpendicular distance of 16 kadams from a point 69 kadams from the corner of the square.