Where does “Cam” come from?
I can't write this etymology summary because the chain provided doesn't support the headword "cam." The chain traces only "camera" through Latin, with no connection to "cam" shown. To write an accurate sentence, I would need either a chain showing how "camera" became "cam" in English, or a different chain that actually leads to "cam." If you have the correct etymological chain for "cam," I'd be happy to write the summary.
Cam (English): A turning or sliding piece which imparts motion...
Definitions
- A turning or sliding piece which imparts motion...
Ancestry of “Cam”, step by step
Cam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English camera
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | camera | A device for taking still or moving pictures or... |
| 2 | New Latin | camera obscura | dark chamber |
| 3 | Latin | camera | A chamber in its various senses, "including";... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | καμάρα | Anything with an arched cover such as a covered... |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | kamarā- | something curved |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | kamárati | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *kmárati | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |