oakum

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*ud-s-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*uz-
3. Old English · inherited fromācumba“oakum”
4. Middle English · inherited fromokom
5. English todayoakum

From Late Middle English okom, okome (“oakum”) [and other forms], from Old English ācumba (“oakum”, literally “that which has been combed out, off-combings”) [and other forms], from ācemban (“to comb out”), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (from Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-, *ūd- (“out; up”), or *h₂ew- (“away from, off”)) + *kambijaną (“to comb”) (ultimately from *ǵómbʰos (“row of teeth; tooth; peg”), *ǵembʰ- (“nail; tooth; to gnaw through; to pierce”)). See also out and comb.

Words from the same roots