cemban

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *kambijan, from Proto-Germanic *kambijaną.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkem.bɑn/

Verb

cemban

  1. to comb

Usage notes
  • In Old English, you usually comb someone's head, not their hair (Hū, ne wilt þū þīn hēafod cemban ǣr þū tō scōle gā? = “Don't you want to comb your hair [lit. head] before you go to school?”), or else you comb the person themselves (Sēo mōdor cemde þæt ċild = “The mother combed the child's hair [lit. the child]”). See also efesian (“to cut hair”).

Conjugation
Conjugation of cemban (weak class 1)
infinitive cemban cembenne
indicative mood present tense past tense
first person singular cembe cembde
second person singular cembest, cembst cembdest
third person singular cembeþ, cembþ cembde
plural cembaþ cembdon
subjunctive present tense past tense
singular cembe cembde
plural cemben cembden
imperative
singular cemb
plural cembaþ
participle present past
cembende (ġe)cembed

Derived terms
  • ācemban (“to comb out”)
    • ⇒ ācumba (“that which has been combed out”)
      • Middle English: okome
        • English: oakum
        • Middle Scots: ockam
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