Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “kemp” come from?

kemp (English) comes from Middle English kempen, from Old English cempan, from Proto-West Germanic kampijan, from Latin campus, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂emp-, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- — to bend, to curve.

kemp (English): Coarse, rough hair, wool, or fur; knotty hairs...

Definitions

  1. Coarse, rough hair, wool, or fur; knotty hairs...

Ancestry of “kemp”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkempento go to war, to enter into conflict; plural of...
2Old Englishcempanto battle, fight; to go to war; to struggle,...
3Proto-West Germanickampijanto battle; to campaign
4LatincampusOpen flat level ground: a plain, a natural field;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂emp-to bend; crooked; to bend, curve
6Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂em-to bend, to curve

Words derived from “kemp”

  • kemper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- →