Not explained with certainty. The word may be taken as "well-tended hair", in opposition of θρίξ (thríx, “hair”), and connected with κομέω (koméō, “to take care of, tend”). Schwyzer considers it a back-formation from κομάω (komáō, “to let the hair grow long”), which could be a by-form of κομέω (koméō). However, since κομάω (komáō) is always connected with hair and is never used in a different sense of "to care", and growing long hair is likely considered the opposite of caring for it, the assumption is not very probable.[1] It has also been suggested as a Pre-Greek word with an element *ko- found in other branches of Indo-European and compared to Albanian qime (“thread of hair”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
The consonant choice in this word is also suggestive of a Semitic word, in Akkadian one has 𒋦 (qimmatum, “tuft of hair; mane, plume; crown, crest”), akin to Arabic قِمَّة (qimma, “crown, peak”), Amharic and Tigre ጋሜ (gamme, “a kind of straight haircut, clean-shaven save for a circumferential strip at the nethermost part”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
κόμη • (kómē) f (genitive κόμης); first declension
| Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ἡ κόμη hē kómē |
τὼ κόμᾱ tṑ kómā |
αἱ κόμαι hai kómai | ||||||||||
| Genitive | τῆς κόμης tês kómēs |
τοῖν κόμαιν toîn kómain |
τῶν κομῶν tôn komôn | ||||||||||
| Dative | τῇ κόμῃ têi kómēi |
τοῖν κόμαιν toîn kómain |
ταῖς κόμαις taîs kómais | ||||||||||
| Accusative | τὴν κόμην tḕn kómēn |
τὼ κόμᾱ tṑ kómā |
τᾱ̀ς κόμᾱς tā̀s kómās | ||||||||||
| Vocative | κόμη kómē |
κόμᾱ kómā |
κόμαι kómai | ||||||||||
| Notes: |
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