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Rokas Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary
What does "ill-kempt" mean?
I tried to look this word up in my Oxford Dictionary but didn't find it (I couldn't find "kempt" either). Can you help me? Here's the sentence:
Michelangelo, only 29 years old, was very different - bad-mannered, ill-kempt, aggressive and solitary.
Michelangelo, only 29 years old, was very different - bad-mannered, ill-kempt, aggressive and solitary.
Top answer
Basically, it means the person isn't well taken care of, presumably by themself. Usually it's a reference to personal hygiene.
- Basically, it means the person isn't well taken care of, presumably by themself.
- Usually it's a reference to personal hygiene.
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5 Answers
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Basically, it means the person isn't well taken care of, presumably by themself. Usually it's a reference to personal hygiene.
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"kempt" is an old past tense and past participle form of the verb "to comb".
The noun 'comb' has originally been "kamb", a verb "kambjan" has been derived. The "j" caused Umlaut a--->e, the Old English form of the verb became 'kemban', pt and pp: 'kempt'.
Later on 'kemban' was replaced by the regular form "to comb" (simply derived from the new noun "comb"), but the old past
The noun 'comb' has originally been "kamb", a verb "kambjan" has been derived. The "j" caused Umlaut a--->e, the Old English form of the verb became 'kemban', pt and pp: 'kempt'.
Later on 'kemban' was replaced by the regular form "to comb" (simply derived from the new noun "comb"), but the old past
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