Combe
/kuหm/noun
A short, hollow valley or deep narrow ravine, especially in southern England.
Did you know?Combe comes from a Celtic word for a hollow or valley, and it survives in countless place names where the land itself still preserves the memory of pre-Roman Britain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
kombo-
โa hollow, valleyโ
Old Welsh
OWelsh
cwm
โa valley or hollowโ
Old English
English
cumb
โa valley, hollow, or deep narrow daleโ
Middle English
English
combe
โa narrow valley or hollowโ
Modern English
English
combe
โa short, usually steep-sided valley, especially in southern Englandโ
Explore more surprising origins