Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “kempfen” come from?

kempfen (Middle High German) comes 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.

Ancestry of “kempfen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germankempfan—
2Proto-West Germanickampijanto battle; to campaign
3LatincampusOpen flat level ground: a plain, a natural field;...
4Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂emp-to bend; crooked; to bend, curve
5Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂em-to bend, to curve

Words derived from “kempfen”

  • kaempferol
  • dihydrokaempferol
  • bekämpfen
  • kämpfen
  • Bekämpfung
  • Ringkämpfer
  • Freiheitskämpfer
  • Wahlkämpferin
  • Kämpfer
  • Wahlkämpfer
  • Straßenkämpfer
  • Kämpferin
  • Vorkämpfer
  • Widerstandskämpfer
  • Kaempfer
  • terroristbekämpning
  • bekämpning
  • bekämpa
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- →