English word origin

Etymology of champ

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of champion. · Clipping of championship. · Buddy, sport, mate. (as a term of address)

verb

To act or behave like a champ; to endure.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em-der. Proto-Indo-European *kh₂ém-po-s Proto-Italic *kampos Latin campusbor. Proto-West Germanic *kamp Proto-West Germanic *-jan Proto-West Germanic *kampijan Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-yos Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *-i- Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Germanic *-jô Proto-West Germanic *-jō Frankish *kampijōbor. Medieval Latin campiō Old French champiunbor. Middle English champioun English champion English champ Clipping of champion /championship.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "champion<id:winner>",
        "id": "champion",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *kh₂em-der.\nProto-Indo-European *kh₂ém-po-s\nProto-Italic *kampos\nLatin campusbor.\nProto-West Germanic *kamp\nProto-West Germanic *-jan\nProto-West Germanic *kampijan\nProto-Indo-European *-is\nProto-Indo-European *-yos\nProto-Indo-European *-yós\nProto-Indo-European *-i-\nProto-Indo-European *-ō\nProto-Germanic *-jô\nProto-West Germanic *-jō\nFrankish *kampijōbor.\nMedieval Latin campiō\nOld French champiunbor.\nMiddle English champioun\nEnglish champion\nEnglish champ\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"combatant\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"fighter\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"soldier\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"battle\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"field\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"field\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"campus\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"to bend; to curve; to smooth\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*kh₂em-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*kh₂ém-po-s\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*kampos\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"campus\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kamp\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-jan\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kampijan\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"agent nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-i-\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-is\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yos\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-jô\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-jō\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Frankish\", \"term\" : \"*kampijō\", \"lang\" : \"frk\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Medieval Latin\", \"term\" : \"campiō\", \"lang\" : \"la-med\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"champiun\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"champioun\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"champion\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"champ\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"champion\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"champ\" id=\"English:_champion\">"
    },
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      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of champion /championship"
    },
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    }
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      "*kh₂em-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kh₂em-"
    ],
    [
      "*kh₂ém-po-s",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kh₂ém-po-s"
    ],
    [
      "*kampos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/kampos#Proto-Italic:_campus"
    ],
    [
      "campus",
      "campus#Latin:_field"
    ],
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      "*kamp",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kamp#Proto-West_Germanic:_field"
    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-jan#Proto-West_Germanic:_verbs"
    ],
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      "*kampijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kampijan#Proto-West_Germanic:_battle"
    ],
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      "*-is",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-is"
    ],
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      "*-yos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yos"
    ],
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      "*-yós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yós"
    ],
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      "*-ō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ō"
    ],
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      "*-jô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-jô#Proto-Germanic:_agent_nouns"
    ],
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      "*-jō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-jō#Proto-West_Germanic:_agent_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*kampijō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kampijō#Proto-West_Germanic:_soldier"
    ],
    [
      "campiō",
      "campio#Latin:_fighter"
    ],
    [
      "champiun",
      "champiun#Old_French:_combatant"
    ],
    [
      "champioun",
      "champioun#Middle_English:_combatant"
    ],
    [
      "champion",
      "champion#English:_winner"
    ],
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      "champion",
      "champion#English"
    ],
    [
      "championship",
      "championship#English"
    ]
  ],
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      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of champion.",
        "Clipping of championship.",
        "Buddy, sport, mate. (as a term of address)"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A dish comprising mashed potato and chopped scallions.

verb

To bite or chew, especially noisily or impatiently.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English champen, chammen (“to bite; gnash the teeth”), perhaps originally imitative.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionchampenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Champagne.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From champagne by shortening.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

The field or ground on which carving appears in relief. · The field of a shield.

verb

To set (a surface) with a champ (a contrasting field or background).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from French champ m (“field”). Doublet of campus and camp.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionchampfr
Doublet mentioncampusen
Doublet mentioncampen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

verb

To camp overnight in a historic church as a novelty or part of a holiday.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Blend of church + camp or back-formation from champing.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Blend componentchurchen
Blend componentcampen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for champ →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

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Permanent entry ID: w-Y2hhbXA