këmbë

Albanian

Alternative forms

• kâmbë, kâmb, kâm, këm

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *kam(b)ā, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em-p (“to bend”). Close to Ancient Greek κάμπτω (kámptō, “curve, bend”), Sanskrit कम्पते (kampate, “trembles”), Latin campus (“field”), Lithuanian kam̃pas (“point, edge, angle”), Old High German hamf (“lame”). Related to Latin gamba. Orel (2000) discusses it as the reflex of a Romance camba but notes that the form is attested nowhere in Balkan Romance, while Huld argues the "direction of borrowing is uncertain". Camarda wondered if it was related to Ancient Greek καμπή (kampḗ, “bend”), while Rohlfs attributed it to a loan from that source.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəm.bə/

Noun

këmbë f (plural këmbë, definite këmba, definite plural këmbët)

1. (anatomy) leg
2. (anatomy) foot

Declension

Declension of këmbë

	indefinite		definite
	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	këmbë	këmbë	këmba	këmbët
accusative			këmbën
dative	këmbeje	këmbëve	këmbës	këmbëve
ablative		këmbësh