First was actually British slang and later became American slang.
Probably related to the Old Norse word "lemja."
Lemja: to cripple by beating, to flog, to beat, to thrash,
also; to escape, flee, suggests hasty departure, etc.
But wait, there's more: It was first attributed to being American slang in two books one entitled Mencken's 'American Language' and the other, the 'Thesaurus of American Slang' by Berry and Van den Bark. There was a newspaper report Menken quoted that was on the origins of "on the lam" that actually traces it indirectly back to the late 1500's--early 1600's, the time of Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare: 'Its origin should be obvious to anyone who runs over several colloquial phrases for leavetaking, such as 'beat it' and 'hit the trail'. The allusion in 'lam' is to 'beat,' and 'beat it' is Old English, meaning 'to leave.'
So by the account of the newspaper it isn't attributed directly to Old Norse but Old English. It's clear that it is Old Norse, though, because "to beat it" is exactly what the word Lemja means! In fact even though "on the lam" has certainly gone out of fashion in America, we say and hear "beat it" all the time, still! So we can attribute it to both. It was British slang first.
"On the lam" means fleeing from something, usually the police. "Lam" as a verb means to flee hastily, to make a quick escape, although the word is almost never used as a verb.
The word lam means to hit someone. It can also mean to run away. For example, a sentence would be: "He was on the lam".
Major Characters of the story Biag ni Lam-ang Lam-ang - the son of Don Juan and Namongan Don Juan - the father of Lam-ang Namongan - wife of Don Juan Ines Kannoyan - wife of Lam-ang Sumarang - the enemy of Lam-ang
Lam-ang is an epic poem of the Ilocano people of the Philippines. Lam-ang's dominant character trait include being a warrior. He was strong and dignified.
http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1748792-biag-ni-lam-ang-life/
kiss my wrist or on the lam
Being on the lam means being on the run.
"Lam" is slang for leaving or running away quickly, often to avoid trouble or evade capture.
"Lam" can have different meanings depending on context. It could refer to a kind of Chinese musical instrument, a prefix indicating "lack of" or "absence," or in informal English slang, it can mean to beat or defeat someone.
"Lam" can have various meanings depending on the context. It can refer to running away or escaping from a situation, or it can also mean to hit or beat someone. Additionally, "lam" could mean a sudden or hard blow.
lam
The word lam means to hit someone. It can also mean to run away. For example, a sentence would be: "He was on the lam".
i am means: igama lam ngu
I want this
The term "on the lam" means to be fleeing or in hiding, usually from the authorities. It is commonly used to describe someone who is trying to escape capture or evade detection.
Kyla Lam
Wilfredo Lam has written: 'Wifredo Lam, 1902-1982'
Chung Dha Lam goes by Jona Lam.