gembh-

Tooth, nail. Oldest form *g̑embh-, becoming *gembh- in centum languages.

Derivatives include comb, unkempt, and gem.

1. Suffixed o-grade form *gombh-o-.

a.

(i) comb, kame, from Old English comb, camb, comb;

(ii) cam, from Dutch kam, cog, comb;

(iii) unkempt, from Old English cemban, to comb, from Germanic denominative *kambjan, to comb. (i)-(iii) all from Germanic *kambaz, comb;

b. gomphosis, from Greek gomphos, tooth, peg, bolt.

2. Suffixed zero-grade form *gm̥bh-ōn-. oakum, from Old English ā-cumba, part of flax separated in hackling, oakum (“stuff combed off” ā-, away, off).

3. Perhaps Germanic *kimb-. chime², from Old English cim-, cimb-, rim (only in compounds),

4. Possibly suffixed form *gembh-mā-. gem, gemma, gemmate, gemmule, from Latin gemma, bud, hence gem.

 

[Pokorny g̑embh- 369.]

* * *