Cumbering
/ˈkʌm.bər.ɪŋ/noun
Present participle of cumber, meaning causing trouble, hindrance, or burden.
Did you know?The verb cumber is ancient, and its deeper relatives include words tied to bending, crushing, and even the idea of a hump or load, so the word itself carries the feeling of something physically pressing on you.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kem-
“to bend, curve, or become bent”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kumbra-
“a hump or something bent/rounded”
Old English
OE
cymbrian
“to hinder, trouble, or burden”
Middle English
ME
combren / cumbren
“to trouble, encumber, or impede”
Modern English
English
cumber
“to burden or hinder”
Modern English
English
cumbering
“causing hindrance or burden”