Where does “kembster” come from?

kembster (English) comes from Middle English kembestere, 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.

kembster (English): A woman who cleans or combs out wool

Definitions

  1. A woman who cleans or combs out wool

Ancestry of “kembster”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishkembestereA kembster; one (usually female) who combs wool
2Middle EnglishkembenTo comb or brush one's hair; to use a comb; To...
3Old Englishcembanto comb
4Proto-West Germanickambijanto comb; kemb
5Proto-Germanickambijanąto comb; kemb
6Proto-Germanickambazcomb
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰostooth; row of teeth; peg
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰ-to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰosEvery word from Proto-Germanic kambaz