{"id":3960,"date":"2025-06-21T15:46:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T15:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=3960"},"modified":"2025-06-21T16:24:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T16:24:52","slug":"celtic-pathways-cumbersome-confluences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=3960","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Pathways &#8211; Cumbersome Confluences"},"content":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Celtic Pathways &amp;#8211; Cumbersome Confluences\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-06-21T15:46:30+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M10S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this episode we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber.\n\n\n\nThe Proto-Celtic word *kombereti means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, together) and *bereti (to bear), from PIE *b\u02b0\u00e9reti (...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.2\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2796\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3960-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=3960-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"cumber.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this episode we <strong>disencumber<\/strong> the <strong>cumbersome<\/strong> and <strong>confluent<\/strong> Celtic roots of words like <strong>encumber<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dygphotography\/43564864550\/in\/photolist-29nFjsj-21CFkFk-L5T5pW-27FjkzG-2oBpb7s-2qsNPEc-2oSkQDr-6vzJRg-2pp8mmZ-2kM1QLY-2qxW1iy-2m1P9jH-Ut7kvL-2pYuJsQ-ffR7jz-2ofJ3pg-2kYAVxo-2pwkjYv-2pYRTkP-2pipUEi-23kvDyh-2oiiU6x-2pTaoJC-2o1Ng2s-2mDTDs8-YcH8as-2jcEk7y-2pU9yXD-2pwdAKB-2p8EvDb-2iPJzac-PLG1P2-2aDBEgg-2j43iMe-2pyt4Yr-2mFVp89-2psYa9H-2qb6Wuy-Tw7UTN-24Sjgo2-2dxxLpt-XuqqtN-2mvR6iS-iZvs2t-NSjtQq-2iPFMSz-2pYvien-2nTPbPw-2ny8Qwr-2pymRM2\" title=\"The meeting of the waters\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/1920\/43564864550_debcf6157e_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"The meeting of the waters\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Proto-Celtic word <strong>*kombereti<\/strong> means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic <em>*kom-<\/em> (with, together) and <em>*bereti<\/em> (to bear), from PIE <em>*b\u02b0\u00e9reti<\/em> (to be carrying) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cumber#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>cumar<\/strong> = ravine, channel, rut in Irish<\/li>\n<li><strong>comar<\/strong> [kom\u0259r] = confluence, concourse in Scottish Gaelic<\/li>\n<li><strong>cymer<\/strong> [\u02c8k\u0259m\u025br] = confluence, meeting of waters, meeting place or clash of armies in Welsh<\/li>\n<li><strong>kemper<\/strong> = confluence, junction of streams in Cornish<\/li>\n<li><strong>kember<\/strong> [\u02c8k\u025bm.b\u025br] = confluence in Breton<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish <em>*comberos<\/em> (river dam) and Latin <em>combrus<\/em> (river dam), possibly include <strong>encombrer<\/strong> (to block off, clutter, congest, encumber, burden) in French, <strong>ingombrare<\/strong> (to encumber, clutter, choke) in Italian, and <strong>cumbersome<\/strong>, <strong>encumber<\/strong> and <strong>incumbrance<\/strong> in English [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic\/komberos\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>You can be <strong>encumbered<\/strong> and <strong>unencumbered<\/strong> in English, but can you be simply <strong>cumbered<\/strong>? Yes, you can. <strong>Cumber<\/strong> is an old word that means to slow down, hinder or burden. It comes from Middle English <em>combren<\/em> (to trouble, vex, annoy), from Old French <em>combre<\/em> (dam, dike), from Latin <em>combrus<\/em> etc. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cumber#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Other words related to <strong>cumber<\/strong> include <strong>cumberer<\/strong> (one that cumbers), <strong>cumberless<\/strong> (unencumbered), and  <strong>cumberground<\/strong> (a totally worthless object or person, something that is just in the way).<\/p>\n<p>Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with <a href=\"https:\/\/blubrry.com\/services\/podcast-hosting\/?code=omniglot\">Blubrry Podcast Hosting<\/a>, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code <strong>omniglot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Celtic Pathways &amp;#8211; Cumbersome Confluences\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-06-21T15:46:30+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M10S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this episode we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber.\n\n\n\nThe Proto-Celtic word *kombereti means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, together) and *bereti (to bear), from PIE *b\u02b0\u00e9reti (...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.2\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2797\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3960-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=3960-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/celticpathways\/cumber.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"cumber.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this episode we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber. The Proto-Celtic word *kombereti means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, together) and *bereti (to bear), from PIE *b\u02b0\u00e9reti (to be carrying) [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: cumar = ravine, channel, rut in Irish [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,122,37,20,56,23,117,6,12,4,50,58,11,109,1,94,59,5,7],"tags":[139,257,256,255,222,90,245,21,9,88,187,8],"class_list":["post-3960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breton","category-celtic-pathways","category-cornish","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-gaulish","category-irish","category-italian","category-language","category-latin","category-middle-english","category-music","category-old-french-franceis","category-podcast","category-proto-celtic","category-proto-indo-european","category-scottish-gaelic","category-welsh","tag-celtic","tag-confluence","tag-cumber","tag-encumber","tag-english","tag-etymology","tag-french","tag-italian","tag-language","tag-omniglot","tag-pathways","tag-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3960"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3965,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3960\/revisions\/3965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}