Where does “Wunderkammer” come from?
Wunderkammer (German) comes from German kammer, from Middle High German kamer, from Old High German chamara, from Latin camera, from Ancient Greek καμάρα, from Proto-Iranian kamarā-, from Proto-Iranian kamárati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kmárati — to bend, to curve.
Wunderkammer (German): room of wonders
Definitions
- room of wonders
Ancestry of “Wunderkammer”, step by step
Wunderkammer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German kammer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | kammer | chamber; room |
| 2 | Middle High German | kamer | — |
| 3 | Old High German | chamara | — |
| 4 | Latin | camera | A chamber in its various senses, "including";... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | καμάρα | Anything with an arched cover such as a covered... |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | kamarā- | something curved |
| 7 | Proto-Iranian | kamárati | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *kmárati | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |