Where does “doorjamb” come from?
Doorjamb comes from Middle English jambe, from Middle French jambe meaning leg, from Latin gamba, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European roots dʰer-, kamp-, and kh₂em-.
doorjamb (English): Either of the upright posts on either side of a...
Definitions
- Either of the upright posts on either side of a...
Ancestry of “doorjamb”, step by step
doorjamb traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English jamb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | jamb | Either of the vertical components that form the... |
| 2 | Middle English | jambe | — |
| 3 | French | jambe | leg |
| 4 | Old French | jambe | leg |
| 5 | Late Latin | gamba | horse's hock; hoof; leg |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κάμπη | caterpillar; silkworm; an eruciform ornament |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂emp- | to bend; crooked; to bend, curve |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |