Etymology: Old English camp , cǫmp , corresponding to Old Frisian camp , cǫmp , (Middle Dutch camp , Dutch kamp ), Middle Low German kamp , Old High German champf (Middle High German and German kampf ), combat, all masculine, Old Norse kapp (pp < mp ) neuter, (Danish and Swedish kamp ) contest, keenness, vehemence. West Germanic or Old Germanic *kampo-z was presumably an early Germanic adoption of Latin campus in its transferred sense ‘field of contest or combat’, also ‘duel, fight, battle, war’; see camp n.² The word was thoroughly at home in West Germanic, and gave origin to numerous derivatives, particularly the verb kampjon ; see kemp v. and compare kemp n.¹ < Old English cęmpa , West Germanic kampjo-n = late Latin campion-em champion n. In Middle English the word survived longest in the north, especially as an archaism of alliterative verse. (Kluge and others, however, claim the word as native Germanic, mainly on the ground of the improbability that the Germans who had so many native words to designate war, should adopt a foreign designation; but they offer no satisfactory account of its etymology.)

Etymology: < French camp (16th cent. in Littré) in same sense: compare Italian campo , Spanish campo , Portuguese campo ‘camp’, originally ‘field’, and French champ , Provençal camp , field, field of tournament, field of battle < Latin campus level field, spec. the Campus Martius at Rome, the place for games, athletic practice, military drills, etc., whence ‘field of contest or combat’, ‘field of battle’. Although camp was the Norman form of champ , no trace of it appears in Middle English, which had only champ n.¹ from central Old French, in the senses of ‘field of duel or tournament’ and heraldic ‘field’. Camp was introduced early in the 16th cent., from contemporary French and with the sense castra, but was also at first used to render Latin campus in other senses, as well as occasionally in the sense of the earlier champ ‘field of combat’. Littré supposed that the 16th century French use of camp was merely the literary adoption of the Picard form in a special sense; but evidently it was an adaptation of Italian (or ? Spanish) campo, in a sense not used with French champ.

Etymology: Of uncertain origin and history.

Etymology: < Old Norse kamp-r beard, moustache.

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Probably < French se camper (colloquial) to assume a proud, bold, or provocative posture, to strike a pose (1671 in Molière), specific (reflexive) use of camper to encamp (see camp v.²); compare French regional (north central) campe posture, attitude, bearing, especially a confident one.The adjective, the noun, and the corresponding verb (camp v.³) are all first securely attested within the space of a year (1909–10), but very likely existed in the spoken language for some time beforehand (compare discussion below); it is unclear which is primary, although the probable French etymon may perhaps favour the verb. Alternative etymologies. Alternative (and less likely) etymologies include derivation < camp n.², by association with either the swagger and dash of military life (compare campish adj.¹) or the notorious licentiousness of camp-followers (the latter term often no more than a euphemism for ‘prostitute’ (of either sex); compare camp-follower n.); perhaps compare also camp n.² Additions b. Another suggestion is that the word is < Scots †camp (adjective) lively, energetic, high-spirited, playful, (noun) lively, playful person (early 19th cent.; apparently < camp v.¹ (compare sense 2b at that entry)); compare also the derivative †campy bold, brave, quick-tempered, energetic, high-spirited, elated (early 19th cent.). It is sometimes claimed that the word derives from a 16th-cent. use of camping with reference to young men wearing women's costume in theatrical performances, but evidence for such a use is entirely lacking. Possible earlier evidence. Earlier currency (of the noun) is perhaps shown by the following example (if it is not an allusive use of camp n.²) from a newspaper account of a private ball in Salford attended by men in drag and raided by the police:1874 Manch. Courier 23 Oct. 6/3 Upon searching Mack, he found upon him..a ticket upon which was printed—‘Her Majesty Queen of Camp will hold a levee and grand bal-masque on Wednesday, Oct 21st, 1874. Dancing to commence at ten o'clock’.Compare discussion of a possible earlier example at campish adj.² Specific senses. In the phrase (as) camp as a row of tents punning on camp n.²

Etymology: Old English campian , cǫmpian , < camp fight: a parallel formation to Dutch kampen < West Germanic type *kampôjan . The other languages have forms < West Germanic *kampjan , viz. Middle Dutch kempen , Old High German chamfen , chemfan , Middle High German kemphen , kempfen , German kämpfen ; also Icelandic kęppa ( < *kampja ), Swedish kämpa , Danish kæmpe , whence northern English kemp n.¹

Etymology: < French campe-r, < camp camp n.²

Etymology: Apparently < camp adj., although it is unclear whether the adjective or the verb is primary (compare discussion at that entry).