Etymology

Kempston

K5E1M3P3S1T1O1N1

Today it means: A suburban town and civil parish with a town council in Bedford borough, Bedfordshire, England (OS grid ref TL0347). Full definition →

Proto-Brythonic *kam ← Proto-Celtic *kambos ← Old English tūn
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The story

  1. Old English · derived fromtūn“enclosure; settlement, town”
  2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*kambos
  3. Proto-Brythonic · derived from*kam“crooked, bent”
  4. English todayKempston

Probably from Proto-Brythonic *kam (“crooked, bent”) (from Proto-Celtic *kambos), in reference to a sharp bend of the River Ouse, + -s- + Old English tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

Words from the same roots

Proto-Brythonic*kam all →

kam

Proto-Celtic*kambos all →

changecamkamKemptencamous

Old Englishtūn all →

wellingtonClaytonWilmingtonbartonLutonWhartonfinkPendletonPembertonTunbridgeCrichtonBeltonTorringtonRoystonTunstallPinkertonLeytonFramptonLoftonNaughtonBlytonTarletonConistonOultonTurtonColstonCheritonLoxtonLentonSymington

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.