An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kamel

by Friedrich Kluge

Kamel, n., ‘camel,’ from Lat. camêlus; in MidHG. kemmel, këmel, which point to the Byzantine and ModGr. pronunciation of Gr. κάμηλος, and hence to κάμιλος (the e of kemel is produced by i- mutation from a). The ModHG. word is a more recent scholarly term, borrowed anew from Lat. (comp. Fr. chameau, Ital. camello), while the MidHG. word was brought back from the Crusades, and hence is due to immediate contact with the East. Moreover, at San Rossore, near Pisa, a breed of camels has existed from the Crusades down to modern times, some of which are exhibited in Europe as curiosities. In the OTeut. period there was, curiously enough, a peculiar word for ‘camel’ current in most of the dialects, which corresponded to Gr. ἐλεφαντ-, Goth. ulbandus, AS. olfend, OHG. olbenta, MidHG. olbent; allied to OSlov. velĭbądŭ, ‘camel.’ The history of this word is quite obscure.