prefix (also 3 ummbe-, 4–5 vmbe-, 5 vnbe-, unbe-, 6 Sc. wmbe-, ombe-; 4 vnbi-, 4–5 vmbi-, 5 vmby-, unby-, 6 Sc. onby-), partly (in southern ME. texts) representing OE. ymbe- (see prec.), but chiefly either an extended form of UMB- (cf. prec.) or a combination of UM- with BE-. Forms with the double prefix (ommebe- or ombe-) are very common in Middle Dutch, not infrequent in older Danish (ombe-), and occur occasionally in MLG.; it is possible that their prevalence in MDu. may have contributed to the extensive use of such forms in ME. Originally the um- was probably added to verbs which already had the prefix be- (as beclip, belap, etc.), and in most cases the two forms (with be- and umbe-) coexist with the same signification. In addition to those treated as main words (viz. UMBECAST, -CLIP, -GO, -LAP, -LAY, -SET, -THINK) the following examples occur in ME. texts, chiefly of the 14th and 15th centuries:—umbebraid, to turn round; umbecarve, to circumcise; umbeclap, to embrace, to enclose; umbeclead, to clothe, wrap up; umbeclose, to enclose, enwrap; umbedelve, to dig round; umbedraw, to withdraw; umbefold, to surround, to embrace; umbegang, to go round, to surround; umbegild, to gild about; umbegive, to surround; umbegrip, to grasp; umbegrow, to grow round, overgrow; umbelie, to surround; umbelook, to look about; umbelouk, to include, comprehend; umbepitch, umbereach, to surround; umberow, to row about; umberun, to surround; umbeshadow, to shade about; umbeshear,to circumcise; umbeshine, to shine about; umbesiege, to besiege, environ; umbespread, to spread about; umbestand, to stand round, surround; umbeswey, to encircle; umbethonre, to encompass, surround; umbetigh, to encircle, surround; umbeviron, to environ; umbewalt, to surround; umbeweave, to enwrap; umbewend, to imbed, enclose; umbewet, to wet about.
Of these the following have parallels with the compound prefix (um-be-) in the cognate languages:—umbeclead, MDu. ommebecleden (p.p. -cleet); umbegrip, older Da. ombegribe (cf. MDu. ombegrijp sb.); umbelie, MLG. ummebeliggen; unbelook, NFris. ombiluke; umbelouk, MDu. omme-, ombeluken (p.p. -beloken); umbeshine, MDu. ombeschijnen; umbestand, NFris. ombistuun, MDu. omme-, ombestaen (p.p.); umbetigh, NFris. ombitiin. Several of these, and many of the others, also correspond in sense to OE. formations with ymb- (less commonly ymbe-) or to equivalent forms in the other languages, e.g., umbecarve, OE. ymbceorfan; umbedelve, (OE. ymbʓedelf sb.), MDu. and Du. omdelven; umbegang, OE. ymbgangan, OFris. ummegunga, OHG. umbigangan, etc.: cf. the examples given under UM-.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1622. Whon he com bifore þe kyng & clanly had halsed, Baltazar *vmbe-brayde hym & ‘leue sir,’ he sayde.
a. 1240. Lofsong, in O. E. Hom., I. 207. Ich bide þe … bi his blodi rune þat ron,… In *umbekeoruunge, in his blod swetunge.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1779. Thane syr Cador of Cornewayle *Umbeclappes the cors, and kyssez hyme ofte.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4171. Þan vmbyclappis þaim a cloude & couirs all ouire.
c. 1400. Anturs of Arth., x. (Thornton MS.). Alle glowede als gledis the gaste whare scho glydis, *Vmbyclede in a clowde. Ibid. (c. 1400), ix. (Ireland MS.). Alle bare was the body, and blak by the bone, *Vmbeclosut in a cloude, in clething evyl clad.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 533. Ek now is to repare Rosayres olde & drynesse of to pare. Now *vmbedelue hem. Ibid., IV. 324. In heruest & in ver hem vmbidelue.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 53. Thai war fayn … to *unbedraw thame agayne to thair pavilliones.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XII. Prol. 6. Mars onbydrew, for all his grundin glave.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 181. Fayre fannand fax *vmbe-foldes his schulderes.
14[?]. Siege Jerus. (E.E.T.S.), 12/219. To seint Peter þe pope ȝo platte to þe grounde, Vmbe-felde his fete, & to þe freke saide.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 191. Alse þe apostle seið … Ðurch onde com deað in to þe worelde al *umbegonge.
c. 1440. trans. Palladius on Husb., IV. 437. With seefroth other haue hem vmbiyonge [L. circumdederunt].
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4899. Ȝit was a mynstir on þe mounte of metall as þe nobill, *Vmbegildid with a garden of golden vynes.
a. 1400. in Hampole’s Psalter (1884), p. xviii. For *vmbegyuen me hathe euels of þe whiche noumber is noght.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3758. Bot sir Gawayne … *Vmbegrippys a spere, and to a gome rynnys. Ibid., 3944. Sir Gawayne … Vmbegrippede the girse, and one grouffe fallene.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 488. A bronch of olyue, Gracyously *vmbe-grouen al with grene leuez. Ibid., B. 836. Þe borȝ was al vp;… To *vmbe-lyȝe lothez hous þe ledez to take.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8468. O prouerbes es þat toþer boke, Þat lers man him *vm-biloke Agains þis werld wikcedhede. Ibid., 23705. Yee cristen men, yow vmbilok,… O yur lijf þat yee her lede.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 291. Vmbiloke ȝou, lordes, such lawes ben leiþ.
1357. Lay Folks Catech. (T.), 259. This ten Comandementz that I haue nowe rekend Er *umbilouked in twa of the godspell.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 1052. Þe hyȝe trone þer moȝt ȝe hede With alle þe apparaylmente *vmbepyȝte.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, II. x. 155. The fader of goddis and king of men With thunderis blast me smate … And with his fyry lewyne me *wmberauch. Ibid., VI. i. 134. Thocht … hard fortoun has wmberaucht The Troianis, and persewit vnfreindfully.
c. 1205. Lay., 114. Eneas þe duc, mid his driht folcke,… moni lond *umbe-rowen.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 324. Wyth orchard, or with gardyn, or with mede, Se that thyn hous with hem be *vmbironne.
14[?]. With an O and an I, in Anglia, XXVII. 286. Þe haly gast … *Vmbeschadow þe sall wiþouten ony syn.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 106. Þe Holy Gost wythouten any werke of man, þat schall vmbeschadow þe wythout.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4132. Þatt cnif wass … Forr *tummbesherenn shapp þærwiþþ Off þeȝȝre cnapechilldre. Ibid., 4080. To wurrþenn ummbeshorenn, swa To clennsenn hemm off sinne.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 455. Þe schyre sunne hit *vmbe-schon.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 182. The grete lordis of laynyster, seynge har Prynce i-putte to myschefe, and in euery Partie *vmbesegid wyth enemys.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, X. ii. 85. The Troiane adulterar Ombesegyt the cite of Spartha.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 10563. Alle that feld was *vmbesprade Off dede knyȝtes.
c. 1300. Havelok, 1875. Huwe rauen … saw how þe laddes wode Hauelok his louerd *umbistode, And beten on him.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1380. Þe bourȝ [Babylon] was so brod & so bigge alce,… *Vmbe-sweyed on vch a syde with seuen grete wateres.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3857. Þan come he streke on a staunke … *Umby-thonred with a thike wod thre mile a-boute. Ibid., 4806. Þai ware vrbe-thonrid in þat thede with slike a thike cloude, Þat þai miȝt fele it with þaire fiste.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 770. A castel … Pyched on a prayere, a park al aboute, With a pyked palays, pyned ful þik, Þat *vmbe-teȝe mony tre mo þen two myle.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 640 (Edin. MS.). I will me speid To help hym, for he has ned; All *umbeweround with hys fayis is he.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1181. Þe gentylest of Iudee in Ierusalem [he] biseged, *Vmbe-walt alle þe walles wyth wyȝes ful stronge.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 581. Þe brawden bryne of bryȝt stel ryngez, *Vmbe-weued þat wyȝ. vpon wlonk stuffe.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1725), I. 117. A hede þat was of smyten,… þis squier … sette it on a spere, in an orfreis vnbiweued.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 221. The rootis wel in dongynge *vmbiwende. In faat lond moyst thei ioyfulliche ascende. Ibid., III. 675. The rootes ek ycutte & *vmbiwette With donge is good her spryngyng forto glade.
b. In the advs. umbetrin, -turn, round about.
c. 1200. Ormin, 17563. Onn heffness whel all ummbetrin, Þurrh Godd tatt swillc itt wrohhte.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 134. A much berd as a busk ouer his brest henges, Þat wyth his hiȝlich here, þat of his hed reches, Was euesed al vmbe-torne, a-bof his elbowes.
