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cumber

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To hinder, burden, or obstruct; to weigh down—frequently employed metaphorically to describe emotional or spiritual encumbrance.

Detailed Definition
“Cumber” suggests oppressive encumbrance—of duty, guilt, or material things. In religious poetry, souls are “cumbered with cares.” It implies unnecessary weight that impedes spiritual or physical progress. The term’s archaic tone suits meditative verse, where liberation from “cumber” signifies grace or clarity. Its blunt sound reinforces the drag of worldly attachment in ascetic or allegorical narratives.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Why cumber the earth with useless gold?" asks the ascetic poet; In Shakespeare’s King John: "Cumber not the earth with such a weight"; "Cumber not your soul with worldly care," advises devotional verse; Milton’s Satan is "cumbered" with doubt; "The old laws cumber the path of progress"; She cast off cumbering jewels for freedom.
Additional Notes
“Cumber” means to burden or obstruct, often morally or spiritually; in allegorical verse (e.g., The Faerie Queene), characters are “cumbered” by sin or doubt, and liberation from “cumber” signifies moral or psychological progress.
Also Known As
burden hinder obstruct
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