comelen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• comblen

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Northern French *comler (Central Old French combler), from Latin cumulō (“to amass”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkum(ə)lən/, /ˈkumblən/

Verb

comelen (third-person singular simple present comeleth, present participle comelende, comelynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle comeled) (rare)

1. To benumb; to make numb.
2. (figurative) To oppress; to deprive.

Usage notes

• This verb is usually found in the past participle.

Conjugation

Conjugation of comelen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) comelen, comele
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	comele	comeled
2nd-person singular	comelest	comeledest
3rd-person singular	comeleth	comeled
subjunctive singular	comele
imperative singular		—
plural1	comelen, comele	comeleden, comelede
imperative plural	comeleth, comele	—
participles	comelynge, comelende	comeled, ycomeled

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

Descendants

• ⇒ English: cumbled (dialectal)
• ⇒ Yola: kimmelt

References

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