ķemme

See also: kemme and ķemmē

Latvian

Ķemmes

Etymology

Borrowed from Livonian kamm, plural kämm, itself a borrowing from a Germanic language (compare German Kamm), from Proto-Germanic *kambaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”) (whence also Latvian zobs (“tooth”)), from *ǵembʰ- (“to bite, chew”). The original meaning was probably “toothed object.” This term is first attested (as kammes, kemmes, the e form coming from the original Germanic plural, and also from the influence of simultaneously borrowed ķemmēt (“to comb”); compare German kämmen) in the 17th century, replacing the previous more general word suka (nowadays only “brush”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [cɛ̄mmɛ]

Noun

ķemme f (5th declension)

1. comb (a toothed implement used for grooming one's hair)

   raga, koka ķemme ― horn, wooden comb

   metāla, kaula, plastmasas ķemme ― metal, bone, plastic comb

   bieza ķemme ― fine-tooth(ed) (lit. thick) comb

   reta ķemme ― wide-tooth(ed) (lit. rare, thin) comb

Declension

Declension of ķemme (5th declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	ķemme	ķemmes
accusative (akuzatīvs)	ķemmi	ķemmes
genitive (ģenitīvs)	ķemmes	ķemmju
dative (datīvs)	ķemmei	ķemmēm
instrumental (instrumentālis)	ķemmi	ķemmēm
locative (lokatīvs)	ķemmē	ķemmēs
vocative (vokatīvs)	ķemme	ķemmes

Related terms

• ķemmēt

See also

• suka