Camp
/kæmp/noun
A place with temporary shelters, or a style or attitude that is intentionally exaggerated, theatrical, or ironic.
Did you know?English camp comes through French from Latin campus, meaning an open field or plain, the same root behind words like “champion” and “campus.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kh₂emp-
“A bend or curve; the source of the idea of something that is crooked or bent.”
Latin
Latin
campus
“An open field, plain, or level expanse.”
Late Latin
Latin
campāre
“To encamp or spend time in a field.”
Old French
Old French
camp
“A field, especially a military field or encampment.”
Middle English
English
camp
“A temporary military encampment or place of tents.”
Modern English
English
camp
“A temporary place for lodging, or a deliberately exaggerated theatrical style.”