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

Related terms

• camb