Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “kemb” come from?

kemb (English) comes from Middle English kemben, from Old English cemban, from Proto-West Germanic kambijan, from Proto-Germanic kambijaną, from Proto-Germanic kambaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰos, from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰ- — to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg.

kemb (English): Obsolete form of comb

Definitions

  1. Obsolete form of comb

Ancestry of “kemb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishkembenTo comb or brush one's hair; to use a comb; To...
2Old Englishcembanto comb
3Proto-West Germanickambijanto comb; kemb
4Proto-Germanickambijanąto comb; kemb
5Proto-Germanickambazcomb
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰostooth; row of teeth; peg
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰ-to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg

Words derived from “kemb”

  • kempt
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰ- →