An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kammer

by Friedrich Kluge

Kammer, f., ‘‘chamber, office,’ fro MidHG. kamer, kamere, f., with the general meaning ‘sleeping apartment, treasury, storeroom, money-chest, royal dwelling, justice chamber,’ &c.; OHG. chamara, f., ‘apartment, palace.’ E. chamber, from Fr. chambre; but the HG. word is based upon a Rom. word (Span. and Port.) camara, ‘room’ (Ital. camera), which again is derived from καμάρα, ‘any enclosed space with a vaulted roof, a term restricted to the more civilised classes in the Middle Ages and current in the Rom. and Teut. groups; comp. further OFr. camra, Slav. komora. The numerous meanings in MidHG. are also indicated by the ModHG. derivatives and compound terms Kämmerer, Kämmerei, and Kammerherr.