different between somber vs cimmerian

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?mb?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?mb?/

Adjective

somber (comparative somberer, superlative somberest)

1. (American spelling) Alternative form of sombre

Verb

somber (third-person singular simple present sombers, present participle sombering, simple past and past participle sombered)

1. (American spelling) Alternative form of sombre

References

• somber in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• somber in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• bromes, ombres, sombre

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

somber (comparative somberder, superlative somberst)

1. somber (US), sombre (Commonwealth)

Inflection

Derived terms

• somberaar
• somberen
• somberheid
• sombermans

English

Etymology

From Cimmerian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??m?????n/

Adjective

cimmerian (comparative more cimmerian, superlative most cimmerian)

1. (poetic) perpetually dark or gloomy
   • 1631: Milton, L'Allegro

     There, under ebon shades... in dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.

   • 1740: George Frideric Handel and Charles Jennens, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

     As ragged as thy locks,
     In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.

   • 1820: Thomas Love Peacock, The Four Ages of Poetry

     ...the darkness of antiquated barbarism, in which he buries himself like a mole, to throw up the barren hillocks of his Cimmerian labours.

   • 1894, Ivan Dexter, Talmud: A Strange Narrative of Central Australia, published in serial form in Port Adelaide News and Lefevre's Peninsula Advertiser (SA), Chapter VI, [1]

     The glimpse of blue vault far above only heightened the cimmerian gloom of the canyon, and the frowning rocks, which rose abruptly gave one the impression that they were on the point of crashing into the ravine.

2. (figuratively) mentally dark; ignorant
   • 1770: Baron D'Holbach, The System of Nature

     The source of man’s unhappiness is his ignorance of Nature.... To remove this Cimmerian darkness... requires the clue of Ariadne.

Derived terms

• cimmerianism
• cimmerianize

Translations