English
kembster
Kembster comes from Middle English kembestere ‘a kembster’, from kemben ‘to comb or brush one's hair’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- ‘to bite, chomp’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵembʰ-‘to bite, chomp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵómbʰos‘tooth, peg’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambaz‘comb’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambijaną‘to comb’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kambijan‘to comb’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cemban‘to comb’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500kemben‘to comb or brush one's hair’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500kembestere‘a kembster’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005kembster
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵembʰ-‘to bite, chomp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵómbʰos‘tooth, peg’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambaz‘comb’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kambijaną‘to comb’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kambijan‘to comb’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cemban‘to comb’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500kemben‘to comb or brush one's hair’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500kembestere‘a kembster’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005kembster
Earliest quotation: 2005, Marjorie Keniston McIntosh, Working Women in English Society: “A married woman who supplemented her family's income by…”
Formed from kemb + -ster
Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- ‘to bite, chomp’
…
Proto-Germanic *kambijaną ‘to comb’
Proto-West Germanic *kambijan ‘to comb’
Old English cemban ‘to comb’
Middle English kemben ‘to comb or brush one's hair’
English kemb
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos ‘tooth, peg’
through Proto-Germanic *kambaz ‘comb’
Today it means
noun A woman who cleans or combs out wool
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- / kembster