Where does “kämpfen” come from?
kämpfen (German) comes from Middle High German kempfen, from Old High German kempfan, from Proto-West Germanic kampijan, from Latin campus, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂emp-, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- — to bend, to curve.
kämpfen (German): to fight, to struggle
Ancestry of “kämpfen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | kempfen | — |
| 2 | Old High German | kempfan | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kampijan | to battle; to campaign |
| 4 | Latin | campus | Open flat level ground: a plain, a natural field;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂emp- | to bend; crooked; to bend, curve |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |
Words derived from “kämpfen”