Where does “achterkamer” come from?
achterkamer (Dutch) comes from Dutch kamer, from Middle Dutch cāmere, from Old Dutch kamara, from Latin camera, from Ancient Greek καμάρα, from Proto-Iranian kamarā-, from Proto-Iranian kamárati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kmárati — to bend, to curve.
achterkamer (Dutch): backroom
Ancestry of “achterkamer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | kamer | A room, physical chamber in a building; A... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | cāmere | room, barn, house |
| 3 | Old Dutch | kamara | — |
| 4 | Latin | camera | A chamber in its various senses, "including";... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | καμάρα | Anything with an arched cover such as a covered... |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | kamarā- | something curved |
| 7 | Proto-Iranian | kamárati | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *kmárati | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |