Forms: 4 kumbre, 5 komber, cumbyre, 6 combre, 6–7 comber, Sc. cummer, (-ar, -yr), 6– cumber. [Used early in 14th c. in sense 1; but not common till 16th, and then at first chiefly Scotch, where it is also spelt cummer. The date, form, and sense, are all consistent with its being either a derivative of CUMBER v., or a shortened form of ENCUMBER sb. But sense 2 strikingly coincides with Ger. kummer, MHG. (from c. 1200) kumber, MLG. kummer, Du. kommer.
OF. had only combre fem. in the sense ‘heap of felled trees, stones, or the like’ (Godef.), corresponding to med.L. combra ‘a mound or mole in a river for the sake of catching fish’ (Du Cange), and akin to Merovingian L. cumbrus, pl. cumbri, combri ‘barriers of felled trees’ (Du C.), whence med.L. incumbrāre, F. encombrer, to ENCUMBER. Cf. also Pg. combro ‘a heap of earth.’ In the Meroving. L. cumbrus, Diez (s.v. Colmo) saw a barbaric form, through *cumblus, of L. cumulus heap: so also Littré, Scheler, Brachet, s.v. Encombre. But the question of the actual origin of cumbrus, and its relation to the Ger. kummer and its family, is a difficult one, which has been much investigated and discussed: see Grimm, Kluge, Franck, Doornkaat-Koolmann.]
† 1. The condition of being cumbered; overthrow, destruction, rout. Obs.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 12516. Alle þe folk wyþ oute numbre, All broȝt y hem to kumbre. Ibid. (c. 1400), Chron. (Rolls), 15474 (Petyt MS.). Elfrik for to bring to komber.
† 2. Trouble, distress, embarrassment, inconvenience. Obs. or arch.
1500–20. Dunbar, Devorit with Dreme, i. Sic hunger, sic cowartis, and sic cumber, Within this land was nevir hard nor sene.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), II. 312. Solicitude or grit cummer.
1547. Coverdale, Old Faith, iii. C j a. Vpon the woman he layed combre sorow and payne.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 5143. Thay depart frome cair and cummer, Frome trubyll, trauell, sturt, and stryfe.
1560. in E. Lodge, Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1791), I. 337. The same coulde not be wthout yor great combre and travayle.
1682. N. O., Boileau’s Lutrin, IV. 280. What Gains Shall answer all this Cumber, all these pains?
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, V. 147. Yet Ise possess more happiness, And he had more of Cumber.
1876. Morris, Sigurd, II. 129. Till a man from their seed be arisen to deal with the cumber and wrong.
† b. Sometimes attributed to the agent: The action of troubling or embarrassing. Obs.
1563. Randolph, in Robertson, Hist. Scot. (1759), II. App. 15. That we may be void of their comber.
1603. Philotus, cxxxii. God … Conserue me fra thy cummer.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 523. Let these childer want the heads, which sall … make you quite of their cummer, (quia mortui non mordent).
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xvi. So the Fair City is quit of him and his cumber.
3. That which cumbers, incommodes, or hinders, by its weight, unwieldiness, or obstructive nature; a hindrance, obstruction, encumbrance, burden. (lit. and fig.) Often contrasted with a ‘help.’
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. xii. 1128. Hys Fadrys Landis of Herytage Fell til hym … All swylk Cumbyre he forsuke, And til haly lyf hym tuke.
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 119. Their horse and Camels heauy burdened, Amidst the way a grieuous cumber meet.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Manteau, A cloke is but a comber in faire weather.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, II. xxvi. (1640), 61. Jacob behaved not himselfe so as to be a cumber and burden to the family, but was helpfull to it.
1644. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 61. The stools and other cumber are removed when the assembly rises.
1756. J. Woolman, Jrnl., iii. (1840), 31. To live more free from outward cumbers.
1892. Cornh. Mag., April, 428–9. The little lad led us outside, up over a cumber of limestone rocks.
† b. That which causes trouble or inconvenience; a trouble. Obs.
1589. Nashe, Anat. Absurd., 40. So delighted to heare themselues, that they are a cumber to the eares of all other.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva (1776), 411. What is reputed a curse, and a cumber in some places, is esteemed the ornament and blessing of another.
4. The action or quality of encumbering, or fact of being encumbered; hindrance, embarrassment, obstruction, encumbrance; cumbrousness.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Royal Navy (1650), 8 (J.). The greatest ships are … of marvellous Charge and fearefull Cumber.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva (1679), 224. Where some … [trees] were planted single in the Park without cumber, they spread above fourscore foot in arms.
1786. Phil. Trans., LXXVI. 24. We shall of course get rid of 18/19ths of the present weight; and consequently of much cumber, unhandiness, and derangement, that must arise from that weight.
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven. (1881), I. Pref. 6. Of other prefatory matter … the reader shall be spared the cumber.
† 5. Occupation with business to an inconvenient or burdensome degree; pressure of business; (with pl.) affairs that occupy and trouble one. Obs. or arch.
[1653. A. Wilson, Jas. I., 278. Free, and at ease from comber, and noise of Business.]
1669. Penn, No Cross, xiii. § 7. As if Cumber, not Retirement; and Gain, not Content, were the Duty and Comfort of a Christian.
1688. Sandilands, Salut. Endeared Love, 29. Taken up with the choaking Cares and Cumbers of this present Life.
1849. J. Sterling, in Fraser’s Mag., XXXIX. 178. A trader hoarding bullion in his trunk Will make small profit, though he ’scape from cumber.
