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

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