Where does “kempt” come from?
kempt (English) comes from English kemb, 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.
kempt (English): neat and tidy; especially used of hair
Definitions
- neat and tidy; especially used of hair
Ancestry of “kempt”, step by step
kempt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English kemb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | kemb | Obsolete form of comb |
| 2 | Middle English | kemben | To comb or brush one's hair; to use a comb; To... |
| 3 | Old English | cemban | to comb |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kambijan | to comb; kemb |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kambijaną | to comb; kemb |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kambaz | comb |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵómbʰos | tooth; row of teeth; peg |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵómbʰ- | to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg |