umbe-

† umbe-, prefix
  (also 3 ummbe-, 4–5 vmbe-, 5 vnbe-, unbe-, 6 Sc. wmbe-, ombe-; 4 vnbi-, 4–5 vmbi-, 5 vmby-, unby-, 6 Sc. onby-),
  partly (in southern ME. texts) representing OE. ymbe- (see prec.), but chiefly either an extended form of umb- (cf. prec.) or a combination of um- with be-. Forms with the double prefix (ommebe- or ombe-) are very common in Middle Dutch, not infrequent in older Danish (ombe-), and occur occasionally in MLG.; it is possible that their prevalence in MDu. may have contributed to the extensive use of such forms in ME. Originally the um- was probably added to verbs which already had the prefix be- (as beclip, belap, etc.), and in most cases the two forms (with be- and umbe-) coexist with the same signification. In addition to those treated as main words (viz. umbecast, -clip, -go, -lap, -lay, -set, -think) the following examples occur in ME. texts chiefly of the 14th and 15th centuries:—umbebraid, to turn round; umbecarve, to circumcise; umbeclap, to embrace, to enclose; umbeclead, to clothe, wrap up; umbeclose, to enclose, enwrap; umbedelve, to dig round; umbedraw, to withdraw; umbefold, to surround, to embrace; umbegang, to go round, to surround; umbegild, to gild about; umbegive, to surround; umbegrip, to grasp; umbegrow, to grow round, overgrow; umbelie, to surround; umbelook, to look about; umbelouk, to include, comprehend; umbepitch, umbereach, to surround; umberow, to row about; umberun, to surround; umbeshadow, to shade about; umbeshear, to circumcise; umbeshine, to shine about; umbesiege, to besiege, environ; umbespread, to spread about; umbestand, to stand round, surround; umbeswey, to encircle; umbethonre, to encompass, surround; umbetigh, to encircle, surround; umbeviron, to environ; umbewalt, to surround; umbeweave, to enwrap; umbewend, to imbed, enclose; umbewet, to wet about.
  Of these the following have parallels with the compound prefix (um-be-) in the cognate languages:—umbeclead, MDu. ommebecleden (p.p. -cleet); umbegrip, older Da. ombegribe (cf. MDu. ombegrijp n.); umbelie, MLG. ummebeliggen; umbelook, NFris. ombiluke; umbelouk, MDu. omme-, ombeluken (p.p. -beloken); umbeshine, MDu. ombeschijnen; umbestand, NFris. ombistunn, MDu. omme-, ombestaen (p.p.); umbetigh, NFris. ombitiin. Several of these, and many of the others, also correspond in sense to OE. formations with ymb- (less commonly ymbe-) or to equivalent forms in the other languages, e.g. umbecarve, OE. ymbceorfan; umbedelve, (OE. ymbᵹedelf n.), MDu. and Du. omdelven; umbegang, OE. ymbgangan, OFris. ummegunga, OHG. umbigangan, etc.: cf. the examples given under um-.

Oxford English Dictionary