Etymograph

English

succumb

Succumb comes from Old French succomber ‘to succumb’, from Latin *cumbō ‘to lie down, recline’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kumbō1reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*cumbō1‘to lie down, recline’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccumbere1
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400succomber1‘to succumb’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1976succumb1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English succumb
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1976, Untitled cartoon: “Upon returning to his flat, he discovered much to…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-Wiktionary, English succumbreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kumbōWiktionary, English succumbreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*cumbōWiktionary, English succumb‘to lie down, recline’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccumbereWiktionary, English succumb
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400succomberWiktionary, English succumb‘to succumb’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1976succumbWiktionary, English succumb. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1976, Untitled cartoon: “Upon returning to his flat, he discovered much to…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-

hip, cove, incumbent, cubicle, hobble, incubus, shoop, incubate, cubit, 14 more

through Latin *cumbō ‘to lie down, recline’

concubine, 8 more

Today it means

verb To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “succumb”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- / succumb

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