Etymology Dictionary

GAMBOL,  a frisk, caper.  (F.,—Ital.,—L.)   In Shak. Hamlet, v. 1. 209.   Older spellings are gambold, Phaer, tr. of Virgil, Æn. vi. (l. 643 of Lat. text); gambawd, or gambaud, Skelton, Ware the Hawk, 65; gambauld, Udal, Flowers of Lat. Speaking, fol. 72 (R.)—O.F. gambade, 'a gamboll;' Cot.—Ital. gambata, a kick (Brachet).—Ital. gamba, the leg; the same word as F. jambe, O.F. gambe.   β. Referred in Brachet to late Lat. gamba, a hoof, or perhaps a joint of the leg (Vegetius), which is no doubt the same word; but the true Lat. form of the base is rather camp- (as suggested in Diez), corresponding to Gk. καμπή, a bending; with reference to the flexure of the leg.   Cf. Gael. cam, crooked; W. cam, crooked, also a step, stride, pace.—✔KAMP, to move to and fro, to bend; cf. Skt. kamp, to move to and fro.   See Fick, i. 519; Curtius, ii. 70.   ¶ The spelling with l seems to have been due to the confusion of the F. suffix -ade with F. suffix -aude, the latter of which stands for an older -alde.   Hence gambade was first corrupted to gambaude (Skelton); then written gambauld (Udal) or gambold (Phaer); and lastly gambol (Shakespeare), with loss of final d.   Der. gambol, vb., Mids. Nt. Dr. iii. 1. 168.   ➩ Brachet translates gamba in Vegetius by 'thigh,' and quotes the passage; it rather means 'a joint,' either of the thigh or of the pastern of the horse.

resin, of a bright yellow colour.  (Asiatic.)   In Johnson's Dict..   'Brought from India by the Dutch, about A.D. 1600;' Haydn, Dict. of Dates.   The word is a corruption of Cambodia, the name of the district where it is found.   Cambodia is in the Anamese territory, not far from the gulf of Siam.