rubben

Middle English

Alternative forms

• robbe, robby, rubbe, rubbyn, rube

Etymology

Uncertain, though akin to Low German rubben, Saterland Frisian rubben, and Old Norse rubba. Possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną, related to *reufaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrubən/

Verb

rubben (third-person singular simple present rubbeth, present participle rubbende, rubbynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle rubbed)

1. To rub; to move back and forwards on a surface:

   Synonym: rudden

   1. To abrade; to rub as to wear down.
   2. To scour; to rub as to clean.
   3. To massage or stroke; to rub gently and soothingly.
2. To file or scrape off; to attack with an edge.
3. (medicine) To smear with a lotion.
4. (rare) To scratch or claw.

Conjugation

Conjugation of rubben (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) rubben, rubbe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	rubbe	rubbed
2nd-person singular	rubbest	rubbedest
3rd-person singular	rubbeth	rubbed
subjunctive singular	rubbe
imperative singular		—
plural1	rubben, rubbe	rubbeden, rubbede
imperative plural	rubbeth, rubbe	—
participles	rubbynge, rubbende	rubbed, yrubbed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: rub
• Scots: rub

References

• “rubben, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.