Etymograph

English

cam

Cam comes from Dutch kam ‘cog of a wheel’, from Proto-West Germanic *kamb ‘comb’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- ‘to bite’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵembʰ-‘to bite’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵómbʰos‘tooth’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambaz‘comb’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEkabatransliteratedrunes ᚲᚨᛒᚨ‘comb’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kamb‘comb’reconstructed
  6. Old Dutchc. 500–1150same formreconstructed
  7. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500kamp
  8. Dutchc. 1500–presentkam‘cog of a wheel’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1861cam

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵembʰ-‘to bite’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵómbʰos‘tooth’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambaz‘comb’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEkabatransliteratedrunes ᚲᚨᛒᚨ‘comb’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*kamb‘comb’reconstructed
  6. Old Dutchc. 500–1150same formreconstructed
  7. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500kamp
  8. Dutchc. 1500–presentkam‘cog of a wheel’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1861cam

Earliest quotation: 1861, Dean Ramsay: “Cum doun t' cam' soid”.

The story

Recorded since the 16th century, from Dutch kam (‘cog of a wheel; originally, comb’) (cognate with English comb, and preserved in modern Dutch compounds such as kamrad, kamwiel (‘cog wheel’)).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos ‘tooth’

honeycomb, 9 more

through Proto-West Germanic *kamb ‘comb’

comb, kame

Today it means

noun A turning or sliding piece which imparts motion to a rod, lever or block brought into sliding or rolling contact with it.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- / cam

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