† umbe, prep. and adv. Obs.
Forms: 1–2 ymbe (imbe), 1–5 umbe (3 ummbe), 3–4 umben; 5 umb.
[Partly (1) OE. ymbe (with equivalent forms in the other Germanic languages; see below), whence southern ME. ümbe (see also embe prep.); partly (2) an adoption of ON. umb (earlier form of um; cf. um- and umb-), whence the midland and northern forms. The form ummbe in the Ormulum is disyllabic (cf. inne, onne, offe, etc.), and so presumably are the ME. examples of the adv.
The Germanic forms corresponding to OE. ymbe (embe), ymb, are OFris. umbe, umme, um, ombe, omme, om (WFris. om), MDu. omme, om (Du. om), OS. umbi, um (MLG. umbe, umb, umme), OHG. umbi (umpi), umbe (MHG. umbe, umme, umb, umm, um; also ümbe, etc.; G. um), ON. umb, um (Icel. and Norw. um, Sw. and Da. om). The stem is represented in other Indo-European languages by Gr. ἀµϕί (ἀµϕίσ), ἀµϕι-, L. ambi-, Gaulish ambi-, Irish imb-, im(m)-.]
A. prep.
1. Around, about.
| Beowulf 2883 Werᵹendra to lyt þrong ymbe þeoden. Ibid. 3170 Þa ymbe hlæw riodan hildedeore. 971 Blickling Hom. 141 Ealle þa þe ymbe me standaþ. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 218 Wið þæt reng-wyrmas ymbe þone nafolan deriᵹen. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. ix. 35 Hire gurdel of bete gold is al, Umben hire middel smal. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 879 Þus þay þrobled & þrong & þrwe vmbe his erez. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1830 Ho laȝt a lace lyȝtly, þat leke vmbe hir sydez. a 1400–50 Alexander 2209 (Dubl. MS.), Alexander als belyfe all vmbe þe cyte Mase iiij Mille to fonde. c 1400 Destr. Troy 335 Vmbe the sercle of the Citie was sothely a playne. Ibid. 8745 A tabernacle triet & tristyly wroght;..Hit was atiryt vmb the top all with triet stones. |
2. About, concerning, of.
| Beowulf 2070 Ic sceal forð sprecan ᵹen ymbe Grendel. c 900 tr. Baeda's Hist. v. xii. (1890) 422 Se arwyrða bisscop..feorr & wide Godes work ymbe Cristes ᵹeleafan bodade & lærde. c 1000 Ags. Psalter (Thorpe) xxxvii. 18 Forþæm ic andette Gode min unriht, and ic þence ymbe mine synna. ? a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 1070, Þa þa hi þyder comon & umbe oþer þing ᵹesprecon hæfdon umbe þæt hi sprecan woldon. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 95 He dude þet heo weren..bodiende umbe godes riche. Ibid. 147 Þreo roden beoð þa ich umbe speche. c 1200 Ormin 304 Þatt tiss Elysabæþ, Þatt we nu mælenn ummbe, Wass þuss off Aaroness kinn. |
b. Busied with, aiming at, seeking after.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 12 Ac hi æfre beoð ymbe þæt an, hu hi maᵹon Gode hyrsumian. a 1200 St. Marher. 6 Helle hundes..haueð al biset me, ah þu, hehe healent, beo umbe me to helpen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 218 He..makeð hire ueire cheres, & is vmbe eueriches weis þet heo him luuie inwardliche in hire heorte. c 1225 in Rel. Ant. II. 5 For-þi he is eaver umben to reare sum ladðe. |
3. After (in time).
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. xvii. 21 Min wedd soðlice ic sette to Isaace, þone þe Sarra þe acenð on þisre tide nu ymbe twelfmonð. a 1122 O.E. Chron. Pref. (Laud MS.), And þa ᵹelamp hit imbe ᵹeara rina, þæt Scotta sum-dæl ᵹewat of Ybernian on Brittene. c 1205 Lay. 2632 Vmben ane stunde, þa scipen ȝaru weoren. Ibid. 6617 Hit wes vmbe fif winter, seoððe he heonne ferde. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 518 Þes sondesmon, umbe long, þa he hefde al þet lond ourgan & þurhsoht, com [etc.]. |
4. umbe throwe. = umbewhile adv. 2.
| a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. iv. 25 We shule aryse ur fader byfore, thah fon us fallen umbe throwe. |
B. adv. About, round.
| Beowulf 2597 Nealles him on heape hand-ᵹesteallan, æðelinga bearn, ymbe ᵹestodon. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 309 Þe grete flem of þy flod folded me vmbe. a 1400–50 Alexander 2762 (Dubl. MS.), The ledes oute of Landace & all þe Landes vmbe. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1455 Grete Troy was vp tild with mony toures vmbe. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. vii. 106 Do donge vppon and vmbe on euery side, And bynde hit to. |