Etymology Explorer › Old High German

Where does “kempen” come from?

kempen (Old High German) comes 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.

Ancestry of “kempen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanickambijanąto comb; kemb
2Proto-Germanickambazcomb
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰostooth; row of teeth; peg
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵómbʰ-to pierce, gnaw through; tooth, horn, peg

Words derived from “kempen”

  • kämmen
  • abkämmen
  • durchkämmen
  • kemmen
  • kemben
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰ- →