'encumber' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'encombrer,' where 'en-' meant 'in' and 'combrer' meant 'to block or hinder.'

'encombrer' transformed into the Middle English word 'encumbren,' and eventually became the modern English word 'encumber.'

Initially, it meant 'to block or hinder,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.