Where does “kam” come from?
kam (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon kamb, from Proto-West Germanic kamb, from Proto-Germanic kambaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰos, from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰ- — to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg.
Ancestry of “kam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | kamb | comb |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | kamb | comb |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kambaz | comb |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵómbʰos | tooth; row of teeth; peg |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵómbʰ- | to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg |