Cumber
/ˈkʌm.bər/noun
To hinder, weigh down, or make difficult; also, something that is a burden or encumbrance.
Did you know?The word is historically tied to the idea of an obstruction or burden, and it survives most visibly inside the darker, heavier cousin encumbrance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kem-
“to bend, curve, or arch”
Late Latin
Latin
cumbere
“to lie down, recline”
Old French
Old French
combrer
“to obstruct, clog, crowd”
Middle English
English
cumberen
“to trouble, burden, hinder”
Modern English
English
cumber
“to burden, hinder, or impede”
Explore more surprising origins