climben

Middle English

Alternative forms

• clymben, clymbe, klymbe, clemben, climbe

Etymology

From Old English climban, from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkliːmbən/, /ˈklimbən/
• (Late ME) IPA^(key): /ˈkliːmən/, /ˈklimən/

Verb

climben

1. To climb or scale (travel vertically or diagonally up a surface)
   1. (figurative) To ascend or climb religiously.
   2. (figurative) To increase one's position in society.
   3. (figurative) To set a goal; to aim.
   4. (figurative, rare) To surmount; to prevail.
2. To soar or move upwards; to move into the sky:
3. (rare) To extend or reach upwards.

Conjugation

Conjugation of climben (strong class 3 or weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) climben, climbe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	climbe	clamb, climbed
2nd-person singular	climbest	clumbe, clamb, climbedest
3rd-person singular	climbeth	clamb, climbed
subjunctive singular	climbe	clumbe1, climbed1
imperative singular		—
plural2	climben, climbe	clumben, clumbe, climbeden, climbede
imperative plural	climbeth, climbe	—
participles	climbynge, climbende	clumben, clumbe, climbed, yclumben, yclumbe

¹ Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
² Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

• clymber
• clymbyng

Descendants

• English: climb
• Scots: clim, clym

References

• “clī̆mben, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-10.